UUP North Down candidate Naomi McBurney has promised to continue her campaign to reduce the cost of school uniforms.

Naomi McBurney said:

“As a co-founder of the Parent Engagement Group and the #bringitbacktoprimary campaign I have been lobbying to reduce the cost of school uniforms and I’m pleased to announce it’s now included in the Ulster Unionist Party manifesto launched last week at HMS Caroline.

“School uniforms help foster a sense of belonging and unity, improve discipline and remove the peer pressure on pupils to wear the latest fashions.

“However, school uniforms can become unaffordable for some parents when the school uniform policy specifies clothing that is expensive, difficult to source or only available from a narrow list of suppliers.

“Ulster Unionists will bring forward legislation in the next Assembly that will give the Department for Education powers to issue statutory guidance on school uniforms, similar to recent legislation in England, if unnecessary burdens continue to be placed on parents.

“Statutory guidance by the Dept. for Education on school uniforms can ensure that parents will not have to think about cost of a school uniform when choosing which school to apply for, make sure that branded items are kept to a minimum and that cost and value for money are given the highest priority when schools are appointing suppliers.

“My colleagues and I reiterate our commitment to reduce the cost of school uniforms and we’ll ensure our manifesto commitment is delivered in the next assembly.”