School Uniform Rip off

cavan_man2021

I just wanted to air my opinion on the costs of school uniform prices in Ireland. My daughter goes to secondary as school, she needs to get a crested jumper which is 50 euros. Then there is the jacket, which she can't wear her own coat, it costs 60 euros. These can only be bought in the one shop locally, so they can charge any price.

Then I have to get pe sports gear. This can only be got online with 1 shop that has it all sown up around Ireland. A tee shirt costs 30 euros, tracksuit bottoms cost 35euros and black crested tracksuit top cost 60euro.

I think the costs of uniforms is too expensive on parents to have to fork out for every year. The quality is bad , she has holes in the knees of the tracksuit bottoms after 2 months. There is no competition with price and supply. 1 shop gets to sell it to all the parents. Her jumper costs 20euro if she was in primary and did not have a crest.

These crests should be iron on or sew on. As a parent there is lots more uniform bits on top of this like trousers, shirts, tie, shoes, trainers, school bag, stationary, book rental, locker rental, insurance.

I really think the costs are too much for parents and I pity folk with 4 children.

Username checks out anyway. 😂

Gloomtastic!

The new Merc every year outside the shop that sells the local school uniforms near here says it all really. Trying to get anything changed with regards to education in this country is a total no no. Luckily we have the Childrens Allowance to fall back on.

cnocbui

This might sound terrible, but I got back at the school by not replacing my daughters prescribed, water permeable 'jacket' Which started falling apart at the seams, the elbows had holes, seams came open, it looked a right mess, but I wasn't going to cough up for a new one when she was only 6 months from the LC.

cavan_man2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118122834#Comment_118122834

Very funny 😂

L1011

kickback central. Schools in other countries with uniforms are either super-posh, or allow use of extremely generic clothes with no logos.

AndrewJRenko

Talk to the school, and the Parents Association.

cavan_man2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118930684#Comment_118930684

To be honest the school don't give a flying f&$k about the costs of the uniform and the PA are only interested in getting a 100euro cash for each child, without actually doing anything like sponsored walks or cake sales. These people are in high paid jobs, bit like the pricks that run the country , they are not clued in with normal people that are not sure if they can pay the next electric bill. The headmasters in these secondary schools are loaded and don't give 2 f**ks about the parents not being able to afford uniforms. Everything has to be crested and costs double the price from that uniform online company and the local clothes shop in the town which has exclusive rights to be the only person selling uniform and charge what they want.

23 skidoo

Why can’t the “uniform” just be a pair of plain black or blue jeans or chino / slacks.

A plain polo and a plain jumper with a sewn on crest?

You could buy all in Tesco for under €20.

piplip87

My local secondary is the same also in Cavan. I can understand the uniform as in the Jumper, Shirt etc but the jackets and PE gear is a complete money grabbing exercise.

The shop we buy our uniforms from is one that must be there from the ,60's and she has exclusive rights to 3 national schools and a secondary school. At least 1500 kids will need to buy uniforms

Id say it's more about the kickback the schools are getting and less about kids getting bullied if they don't wear brand names these days.

It's also I'd reckon the only thing keeping this shop going as I'd imagine COVID has played havoc on her key demographic 80+ year old women looking for an outfit to mass.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118934109#Comment_118934109

The Parents Association IS the parents. If you're not happy, then become part of it - and influence from the inside.

I agree - join the Parents Association.

Then circulate a copy of this circular D/Education 32/2017 (PDF - Measures to be adopted by Schools to reduce the costs of school uniforms and other costs) to every member of the Parents Association, and the Management Board, for the matter to be put on the Agenda for the next meeting to discuss what has been done to implement these measures.

If you can, email it to as many parents as you can, as well.

Musefan

I think there should be a prescribed set of colours for uniform too so supermarket bought pieces can be sourced. Our secondary uniform had both unusual colours for the shirt & other items. In contrast, primary school was all plain navy with a white polo, and you just bought one iron on school crest for the standard supermarket navy jumper etc.

How much did her phone cost?

Mrcaramelchoc

This arguement is brought up every year and nothing is ever done. Parents council my hole.i was on one i tried to get change and i was told in no uncertain terms it couldn't be done. Its because the majority of parents can afford it and won't do anything about changing it.

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118934145#Comment_118934145

I'm involved in a school in an advisory capacity. I've been involved with other schools in the past.

We hear this "kickback" word regularly.

I have never known a school to get any "kickback" from a uniform supplier.

Uniforms are quite good value. You simply cannot compare the rubbish quality of supermarket clothing that will last no more than a few weeks.

A decent school jumper will last the year and more. That's about 180 days of wear at a minimum.

Look around you. There's no school uniform supplier with trappings of wealth.

Timfy

Just to say, as a school employee and the partner of a school board of management committee member, the talk of "kickbacks" to a school are absolute nonsense!

Finty Lemon

€230 to kit out the kid for school is decent value.

If you save just €1.50 a day between now and the start of school in Sept you will have it covered no bother.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118941846#Comment_118941846

An advisory capacity on what - uniforms?

You simply cannot compare the rubbish quality of supermarket clothing that will last no more than a few weeks.

I disagree. Thankfully the local primary my daughter attended has a sensible plain navy uniform which could be bought anywhere and the school provide the crests for €3 each that could be sown onto the jumper. I have never experienced "supermarket" clothing that fell apart in a few weeks. I usually bought uniform wear in Dunnes or Marks & Spencer, and they always lasted a full school year. Her secondary had a crested jumper that was €60 and absolute crap quality - but when they tried to introduce crested jackets and PE wear on top of the jumper the parents collectively refused to comply.

Whatever about a crested jumper, there is absolutely no need for crested outerwear or polo shirts (worn under the jumper!) or PE gear. And I agree with the previous poster about standard colours.

In my view that crested everything is just an unnecessary expense for parents, who may have more than one child to dress for school.

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118942312#Comment_118942312

I certainly agree that crested everything is not required.

Jumper and jacket.

For primary school, supermarket stuff is fine as they grow out of it quickly, but certainly the jumpers in the secondary school I do work with are very good quality and sell for £50 including crest.

Jacket is £120.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118943525#Comment_118943525

£ or €?

My daughter's secondary school jumper was €60. It washed horribly, bobbled, went out of shape, and frayed at the hem and cuffs and had to be replaced every year. By Feb mid-term it looked like crap. Absolute rubbish.

I see no reason why a jacket needs to be crested at all - or even part of the uniform.

I always bought my daughter Trespass jackets for school, and they were brilliant, and cost way less than €120!

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118943602#Comment_118943602

£, I'm in northern Ireland.

By jackets I mean Blazers.

Wildly Boaring

This stuff boils my blood. 50 and 60 quid jumpers. 120 quid jackets. Crested PE gear.

Bullshit

All uniforms should allow sew on crests.

Blazers are pure public school snob factor.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118943785#Comment_118943785

£120 for a blazer?

You're having a laugh.

cavan_man2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118943525#Comment_118943525

Hope you are not talking about the brand Hu%%er they have jumpers that fray at the cuff. Not good quality at all. I avoid washing them if I can. There is nothing special about them, acrylic no wool. Sew on crest is needed and I don't mind buying supermarket jumpers, even if I have to get them twice a year. A lot cheaper than the crested jumpers. All snobbish ways in this country.

endofrainbow

In all fairness this is nothing new. As far back as mid 70s/early 80s, there was only one shop (Rathmines) where crested uniforms could be bought.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118934109#Comment_118934109

That's not a very realistic starting point when trying to actually do something about the issue, rather than just moan and talk about it.