School Uniforms Bill: Paul Givan welcomes progress on cutting costs for families

Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed the passing of the School Uniforms Bill at Consideration Stage in the Northern Ireland Assembly, describing it as a “significant step forward” in reducing the financial burden faced by families.

The proposed legislation — formally titled the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill — will give statutory weight to guidance on affordability, ensuring schools must consider costs when setting uniform policies.

It will also extend access to the Education Authority’s clothing allowance, currently available only to pupils in grant-aided schools, to those in independent schools. At present, pupils at independent schools who qualify for Free School Meals have not been eligible for the uniform grant.

Mr Givan emphasised the importance of tackling rising costs for parents, particularly in the current economic climate.

He said:

“Today marks a significant step forward in the legislative process required to bring forward the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill and deliver change that will make a real difference to parents.

“At a time of growing pressures on family budgets, I am extremely concerned that families are finding the cost of a school uniform a significant outlay, and that in some cases it deters them from applying for a particular school.”

The Minister stressed that the Bill aims to balance school ethos with affordability.

“This Bill aims to strike a balance between recognising the role that school uniforms play in the ethos of our schools and ensuring that school uniforms are affordable for all. It will see strengthened, statutory guidelines created to ensure that transparency and affordability are at the core of school uniform policies.”

Responding to critics who questioned the effectiveness of the legislation, Mr Givan argued that its provisions had been carefully designed to offer “real, tangible support” while remaining workable for schools.

He continued:

“Suggesting that this legislation will not deliver for parents fundamentally misrepresents both the purpose and the strength of the Bill. It has been carefully constructed to ensure it delivers real, tangible support for families struggling with the cost of school uniforms, while also being workable for schools and robust in law.”

He also highlighted the importance of avoiding poorly drafted amendments that could weaken the law:

“Unfortunately, I am informed that some of the amendments were poorly drafted and do not represent legislative best practice. Every provision in the Bill has been considered in light of legal advice, the practical realities faced by schools, and the need to avoid exposing schools to increased risk of legal challenge due to unclear or overly broad wording.”

If passed, the Bill will place a statutory duty on the Department of Education to issue guidelines directly addressing the affordability of school uniforms, ensuring schools must comply with measures aimed at reducing costs for parents.

Looking ahead, Mr Givan said preparations were already under way for the implementation of the Bill.

“I welcome the progress made to date and I want to see this Bill now move through the remaining process, with the support of the Assembly, to deliver this important piece of legislation as quickly as possible for parents.

“Work is continuing on preparing guidelines and communications to schools ready for issue once Final Stage is completed. This will ensure we remain on track for schools to adhere to statutory guidelines from the 2026/27 school year.”

The Bill is expected to reach its Final Stage in the Assembly in October 2025, before being implemented in time for the 2026/27 academic year.