Belfast Royal Academy Says Concerns Over Cheap Uniforms Are Purely Ethical

Q Radio News

Belfast Royal Academy says a letter urging parents not to buy cheap school uniforms has been taken out of context.

They said in a statement to Q Radio:

The letter sent to parents is quite clearly about the school and a group of volunteers trying to help pupils, parents and the planet by providing excellent quality pre-loved uniform at a much reduced cost that would otherwise go to landfill and we do not believe that this requires any further comment.

Their letter to parents said:

“As a school community, we are aware of the importance of sustainability and of reducing waste. We do not feel it is appropriate to condone the purchase of cheap items of clothing from high-street retailers who do not conform to ethical trading standards in terms of child-labour.

Poor quality sports clothing will not stand up to the rigours of contact sport and will need to be replaced much more frequently, which is a false economy.

The FOTA uniform sale takes place 3 times a year and families can purchase all items of school clothing including PE and Games kit for a significantly reduced price. For example, the total for a boy’s school uniform and PE kit is £50.”

The next main uniform sale is scheduled for November 2022 and details will be provided in due course.

We know how grateful many families are that FOTA provide this valuable service and I would like to thank member.”

Belfast Royal Academy Photo by Liam McBurney (PA)