As the uniform crisis is spreading around the whole of Northern Ireland, one organization has decided to create a uniform exchange, where students will be able to purchase second-hand uniforms for less money.
Recently, the Irish Department of Education was prompted to provide more funding for parents and to reduce the costs for school uniforms, as families are struggling to keep up with school expenses.
Managing with school-related spending is even harder for families on universal credit. Some families have also reported that they are behind on paying their rent and utility bill because they had to secure uniforms for the next school year.
Whiterock Children’s Centre
Whiterock’s initiative is very noble, as the center is trying to provide a cheaper opportunity for parents to buy uniforms for their children. The Belfast center has been working on gathering donations and used uniforms so that parents who cannot buy their children new school-wear can choose this cheaper version.
According to recent figures, Irish families are spending about eight hundred pounds (GBP 754) for school clothing and supplies for primary school students, and a whopping one thousand and two hundred (GBP 1,160) for secondary school students every year. Such expenses are impossible for some families, and they have rightfully asked the government for help.
Whiterock’s decision to try and provide an alternative for parents is genuinely commendable as costs mount up, especially if one family has more than one student to support. School uniforms continue to be one of the biggest expenses parents face, and such initiatives are a great way to help out families in need.
