New school uniform rules in Northern Ireland

Pulling on your school uniform - perhaps a blazer with your school badge stitched on - is part of the weekday routine for most of you, just like packing your bag or grabbing breakfast.

But in Northern Ireland, uniforms are set to change under new rules designed to make them more affordable for families.

The Department of Education has issued legally binding guidelines that schools must follow when setting their uniform policies from the start of the next school year.

So what do the changes mean?

Education Minister Paul Givan says yes, they will.

He said: "the cost of a school uniform should not be a significant burden for parents".

The guidelines say uniforms and PE kits should be "affordable for families on the lowest incomes and do not impose unfair costs".

Schools are told to think about families who qualify for free school meals when deciding what is affordable. In Northern Ireland, pupils can get free school meals if their household income is below a level set by the government.

Currently, some Northern Ireland schools ask pupils to wear branded items, such as jumpers or PE tops with the school badge on them. Others require special colours that can be harder to find.

These items are sometimes only sold in certain shops and can cost more than plain clothes.

The new guidelines say schools must "minimise the number of branded items," including "school-specific" PE kit.

If a school believes it needs branded items or unusual colours, it must clearly explain why.

Under the guideline, schools should also make sure families can buy simple items - like plain shirts, trousers or skirts - from different shops, including supermarkets, instead of just one supplier.

They are encouraged to run uniform banks or swap shops, where good-quality second-hand uniforms can be reused.

Schools must not punish pupils for breaking uniform rules if the reason is a financial one.

If parents think a school is not following the rules, they can complain to the Department of Education. If the department agrees, it can tell the school that it must follow the guidelines.

No. Instead, schools are told to avoid "unfair costs", but no exact amount is given.

Some politicians, known as MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly), have criticised the law and say it does not go far enough.

At the moment, each school decides its own rules on skirts worn by girls. Some schools allow girls to choose between a skirt or trousers. Others still require just skirts.

The new uniform guidelines do not say that all schools must offer a choice.

Some MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) have said they would like to change the law so that every school would have to give girls the option to wear trousers.

However, Education Minister Paul Givan has said the current law already allows girls to challenge their school if they are not allowed to wear trousers instead of skirts.

Miya, who is 16, says she prefers having a uniform: "I think it's much better than picking out new things every single morning, and I think our [school uniform] shirts are really unique to other schools that you see. It's not as much hassle in the mornings whenever you wake up."

Christie, also 16, said affordability is important: "Every school has different branded PE kits. It depends on the brand, it's going to depend on the price and I don't think that's very fair. It just puts a lot of pressure on different families and pupils."

Scotland

Decisions about whether pupils must wear a uniform and what it looks like are made by each school or local authority.

Wales

In Wales, the government gives schools official rules (called statutory guidance) that they must follow when they decide their uniform. These rules say schools must make sure uniforms aren't too expensive for families, such as keeping branded items optional where possible.

England

From September 2026, once passed, a new law will limit the number of branded items that a school can ask children to wear in England (for example, logo jumpers or PE tops).