Schools have been urged to not change uniform design due to the cost of living by Wokingham Borough councillors.

Councillors backed a motion put forward by Conservative Cllr Vishal Srinivasan to encourage all schools in the borough to keep their uniforms simple to avoid struggling parents having to pay for expensive and branded items.

Cllr Srinivasan, who only left school two years ago, told the council: “The companies making these school jumpers with a brand logo on charge very high prices compared to the generic version.

“This tax on parents should not be compulsory and the parents should have a choice whether they want to pay the premium.”

He added that ‘just buying uniform for me alone cost my parents a significant amount.’

The motion, put forward to councillors at a meeting on Thursday, July 25, urges schools to consider not changing their uniform designs and to allow more unbranded items that are at a lower cost.

An amendment was introduced during the debate from the motion by Labour’s Andrew Gray, who said he ‘agreed with the broad ambitions’ of the motion.

He reminded Cllr Srinivasan that similar guidance from the Department of Education has been in place since 2021, and that contacting every school to urge them to do what they may already be doing is ‘not an effective use of our council resources’.

He added: “The incoming government has announced even stronger measures in the King’s Speech on this which I hope will go even further in supporting families.”

The government are looking to introduce a cap on how branded items a school can require students to wear.

Conservative leader Pauline Jorgensen said: “Even if the branded uniform design is optional, people who can’t afford it become equivalent to second class citizens.

“They get bullied, they get teased, the standout, so it’s really important that uniforms are easily available, not branded, not fancy, not changing all the time.”

Labour’s amendment was accepted, and the motion was voted in favour unanimously.

The executive member for equalities, inclusion and fighting poverty Cllr Rachel Bishop-Firth has said the council added £250,000 to last year’s budget to support schools in tackling the cost of school uniform.

Deputy leader Cllr Prue Bray also said: “I am pleased to say that many of our schools are already moving to reduce these costs to parents, so I believe the council is pushing at an open door.”