Greens bring vote on capping school uniform costs across Scotland
Scottish Greens MSP Laura Moodie is calling for an end to expensive, branded school uniforms, with a proposal to force every council and school in Scotland to cap costs and make uniforms more affordable for families.
Laura has lodged an amendment to a Labour motion on education, which will be voted on by MSPs this evening.
Her proposal calls for existing Scottish Government guidance on affordable school uniforms to be made legally binding as soon as possible, which would require every council to implement measures to bring down costs.
The guidance, introduced in September 2024 and co-developed by the Scottish Greens during their time in Government, recommends allowing generic, low-cost uniform items that families can buy from a range of shops, rather than forcing them to purchase expensive branded clothing from specialist suppliers.
It also recommended that school uniform policies should be designed around the School Clothing Grant covering the cost of everything pupils need for the school year, including a reasonable number of spares and replacements.
But without a legal requirement to follow the guidance, families are still facing widely differing costs depending on where they live. Laura's amendment would start to put an end to that postcode lottery, ensuring all families can benefit from cheaper, more accessible school uniforms.
Scottish Greens education spokesperson Laura Moodie MSP said:
“Families across Scotland are being stretched to their limits by rising costs and household bills. We should be doing everything we can to put money back in people's pockets.
“School uniforms are one area where councils and schools could make an immediate difference, but too many are failing to act.
“Far too many schools still have harsh, outdated and completely unnecessary uniform rules, including exclusive deals with specific suppliers. It means that families can end up paying ridiculous prices for mandatory branded clothing.
“We shouldn't be forcing parents to pay over the odds for a school uniform when exactly the same basic items can be bought for far cheaper elsewhere.
“I'm proud of the work the Scottish Greens did in Government to introduce guidance to tackle these costs, but guidance is only worth something if schools actually follow it.
“My proposal would make those rules legally binding as soon as possible, so every council has to act and every family can benefit, wherever they live.
“Affordable school uniforms shouldn't depend on your postcode. I hope MSPs will back my call and help to end this needless inequality.”