Free school uniform provision considered by Lanarkshire council

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The possibility of providing free school uniforms for all pupils in North Lanarkshire is being investigated after a suggestion put forward by councillors earned unanimous agreement.A feasibility study is now taking place to consider the costs and challenges which would be involved in supplying school clothes for youngsters at the area’s 178 education establishments, in what would be the first such move by a local authority.The research follows a motion to the council’s latest meeting, highlighting an “inherent unfairness” that the authority provides free work uniforms for staff while youngsters’ families have to meet the cost of school dress codes.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android It was brought forward by Coatbridge representatives Allan Stubbs and Tracy Carragher, who noted that a quarter of the authority’s 49,000 schoolchildren currently receive its £140 annual clothing grant.

Councillor Stubbs told Lanarkshire Live: “There’s no question that employees should pay for uniform they are required to wear and I’ve always found it strange that children having to pay for the same thing is an accepted practice; I’m very grateful that members across all parties supported this motion, which is the first step in correcting the imbalance. “Just as hunger is a barrier to learning, so is cold; and