Sports kits that 'don't last' push prices 'up and up and up'

Branded school sports kits have driven up the cost of school uniform and "ruined the reputation" of sellers, a retailer has said.

Jan Buchanan told MLAs in Stormont's Education Committee that many parents were now paying more for their child's physical education (PE) kit than for their uniform.

She was one of a number of retailers who gave evidence to the committee about proposed laws to limit the price of school uniforms.

One parent told BBC News NI that items often need replaced throughout the year, and that costs are "going up, and up, and up".

Kerri Denvir has two children in primary school in Newtownabbey, County Antrim.

"They just don't last and they're growing out of them very quickly," Ms Denvir said.

"They fall in the playground and get a hole in the joggers, and that's another £20. You're constantly having to replace things," she said.

"Sometimes there will be a deal in August, but when you go in during the winter to replace it the price has gone up.

"It's not two or three pounds, it's a significant amount of money, and the cost goes up maybe £20 or £30 a year."

As well as a maximum price limit, Education Minister Paul Givan also said that there could be a limit on the number of branded items, such as PE kits, a school could ask parents to buy.

The School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill is currently being scrutinised by the education committee.

Tina Mellon, a single mother-of-three, said the rising cost of uniforms was "exceptionally difficult to manage".

She told BBC News NI that her son, who is in primary school, requires a branded PE kit as well as his main school uniform.

"I feel many unbranded items would be just as acceptable, particularly for primary school children and most certainly for physical activity," she said.

Liam Charlton-Killen is the founder of Ethical Schoolwear, an online school uniform shop based in County Down.

He said he has a "foot in both camps" because he also has a child in secondary school.

He told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that the uniform his son wears for "95% of the time" cost £150 in total while his PE kit was nearly £200 and "only available from a single supplier".

"I think having a monopoly definitely benefits some retailers."

He said that suppliers and schools both have a role to play in bringing prices down.

"I think we can show that people have a choice of supplier so that there is competition and those suppliers have to fight for parents' hard earned money.

"They should be competing against each other to win business and that will help to keep prices down."

Sinn Féin MLA and education spokesperson Pat Sheehan said parties must work together to ensure legislation to make school uniforms affordable is fit for purpose.

In a statement he described future legislation as "game changing" and that "urgent action" was needed to cut costs for families.

During the committee hearing on Wednesday, the retailers called for a three-year "window" before any new law took effect.

Alastair McCall from McCalls of Lisburn told MLAs that, otherwise, the new law could make "bankruptcies and mass redundancies a very real possibility".

Francesca Cahillin from Truly Fare in Belfast told MLAs that the current school uniform grant for low-income families in Northern Ireland was much lower than in Wales or Scotland.

"By comparison Northern Ireland falls short," she said.

Ms Buchanan from Warnock's in Belfast said "school uniforms themselves haven't actually changed, what has changed is the introduction of compulsory branded sports kits".

"As you know these are provided exclusively by sports companies who've negotiated a monopoly on the supply of these items," she said.

"Consequently, this has raised the price of uniforms as a whole, ruined the reputation and negatively impacted the small family businesses."

Ms Buchanan gave an example of an unnamed school where she said the uniform cost £86.90 in total while the compulsory PE kit came to £198.70.

A consultation on the proposed new law attracted 7,500 responses, and many parents expressed opposition to schools requiring pupils to wear PE kit made by a particular brand.