AN assembly committee has voiced concerns about the spiralling cost to parents of school uniforms describing it as "shocking".
The cross-party education committee expressed its concern about new research highlighting rising prices.
A survey by the Irish League of Credit Unions found more than 70 per cent of parents believed the amount they had to pay for uniforms created a financial burden. On average, the survey found that primary school parents spent £96 for each child, while secondary school parents spent £180.
Almost one in every three school pupils in the north last year received money to help buy items including jumpers, blazers and PE kit.
Education minister John O'Dowd has encouraged parents of eligible children to apply for these school uniform grants. A total of £5.4 million has been made available to fund the scheme this year.
The Clothing Allowance Scheme covers primary, post-primary and special schools. It does not apply to pupils in attendance at nursery schools, nursery units or reception classes.
It makes different sums of cash available to help meet costs. Those eligible receive £35.75 for primary school while pupils in post-primary and special schools can receive up to £56. There is also a £22 allowance for PE gear.
Only one clothing allowance per pupil will normally be paid during the school year. Last year 28.2 per cent of all pupils received uniform support.
The eligibility criteria are similar to those used for free school meals. It is estimated that about 90,000 young people will benefit this year.
Education committee chairman, Peter Weir of the DUP said many families were struggling to meet the costs of new uniforms.
"A recent survey has shown that uniforms on average cost local parents around £100 per child in primary school and around £180 per child in post-primary. The committee was also shocked to learn that school uniforms for a quarter of all local schools are only available to purchase from one or two retailers," he said.
"This is at odds with the guidance issued by the department. The research also shows that the rest of the UK does much better on costs and retailer choice - significantly reducing the costs for parents in other jurisdictions."
Mr Weir said although the Clothing Allowances Scheme provided welcome support, this was often simply not enough to cover the costs of those most in need and not available at all to some less well-off working families.
"The committee is calling on the department to take effective action in encouraging schools to use more generic and less branded uniform items and to ensure a wider choice for parents of uniform retailers. This we feel could result in more competitive pricing structures and should importantly lower costs for struggling families."
