The cost of school uniforms is proving a barrier to education for secondary students in Aotearoa, with some missing school because they don't have a full uniform, a study from the University of Otago, Wellington – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke, has found.
The study, undertaken by Dr Johanna Reidy, Dr Michaela Pettie (Ngāti Pūkenga) and Dr Lucy Telfar-Barnard from the Department of Public Health, gathered the views of students, parents, and staff at three co-educational, state-funded secondary schools in Wellington.
Dr Johanna Reid
Study lead Dr Reidy says a small but concerning number of students in the study reported missing school because they did not have the correct uniform to wear. Students listed a range of reasons for this, including that their uniform was worn out, or didn't fit, that they didn't have enough items to rotate while washing and drying their uniform, or because they were sharing clothing with siblings.
The research is published in Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online.
Dr Reidy says around one in five students reported that buying school uniform items was a problem for their family because of the cost.
"Even in comparatively affluent schools, some families struggled with the cost of outfitting their children with school uniforms."
Ten per cent of students in the study said their parents or caregivers had borrowed money in order to buy new uniform items, with some families applying to Work and Income for loans that later had to be repaid.
The Māori and Pacific rangatahi who participated in the study and lived with lower-income whānau were significantly more likely to worry about the cost of their school uniforms compared to non-Māori and Pacific students.
"Their families were significantly more likely to pay for uniforms over time via layby, instalments or loans, rely on third party support from schools, charities or extended whānau, and to struggle to replace worn out items."
Dr Michaela Pettie
A co-author on the research, Dr Pettie, conducted wānanga focus groups with rangatahi Māori from the three schools.
She says the Māori and Pacific rangatahi involved in the study were excited to kōrero about their resourcefulness and problem-solving approaches to finding affordable uniform 'dupes' or substitute uniform items.
"Māori and Pacific students offered a balanced kōrero about their school uniform experiences by highlighting the advantages of having durable and simple uniforms, along with the frustrations of uniform costs when living with lower-income whānau, and the injustice of peers being excluded from participating in sports when they did not have the required sports or PE uniform."
Dr Reidy says some students described managing with only one of each core uniform item, while others ended up wearing unsuitable items when they had no other options.
"Whānau sometimes chose to substitute cheaper, generic items for prescribed school uniform garments, but these look different, undermining the intended role of uniforms as a form of social camouflage, or a way of concealing socioeconomic differences."
She says the families and students in the study recognised the long-term investment value of school uniforms, but this was balanced against high upfront and ongoing replacement costs, even as they made use of second-hand items, charitable support and government loans.
"If school uniforms are to fulfil their purpose and genuinely support access to education, the government needs to take a more active role in both uniform policy and funding, particularly for low-income students."
Dr Reidy says the Government could provide targeted increases in operational funding to schools in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation and consider replacing Work and Income loans with grants, to help families struggling to afford uniforms.
"When we see teens missing school because of the unaffordability of school uniforms, it's really past time for action on this issue.
"The Government should be providing schools with clear guidance on uniforms. This could include measures to limit monogrammed clothing items, and to ensure uniforms can be purchased from more than one supplier.
"Schools and school boards also have a role to play. They can communicate clearly which items are needed and revisit when or whether expensive items, such as blazers, need to be purchased in Year 9 when students are still growing."
Publication details
The research paper, 'The Cost of Belonging: School Uniform Affordability in Aotearoa New Zealand' is published in Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online
