Labour has announced a new election policy aimed at cutting back-to-school costs by limiting the number of branded uniform items families must buy, and offering more places to buy them.
If elected, Labour's policy would require schools to limit the number of compulsory branded uniform items that families needed to purchase.
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“Schools can maintain their identity without forcing parents to pay a premium for a logo. If a plain navy polo does the job, parents shouldn’t have to pay more for the branded version,” Labour education spokesperson Ginny Andersen said.
"I’ve heard from families who get through Christmas only to face another big bill when school starts. Uniforms, lunches, transport - it all adds up."
The policy allowed for affordable, generic alternatives to meet school uniform requirements from alternative retailers such as Kmart and The Warehouse, and to track and publish uniform costs so affordability progress can be measured.
“Families shouldn’t need to turn to hardship support just to get their kids ready for school. We can take practical steps to bring those costs down," leader Chris Hipkins said.
A similar uniform policy was announced by ACT in early June, which also pledged to limit the amount of branded items state schools can require families to buy.
Under ACT's policy, parents could buy basic, high-use items, such as shorts, skirts, pants and socks, from retailers such as The Warehouse and Kmart rather than more expensive school-specific options.
ACT education spokesperson Laura McClure said it was "encouraging" to see Labour back cheaper school uniforms and that "the answer to the cost of living isn't always more Government spending".
"Sometimes it's as simple as removing unnecessary restrictions and allowing competition to do its job."
She called on other parties to get behind the "common sense change".
"ACT doesn't mind Labour copying our homework when it means parents can keep more of their hard-earned money."
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