Why are school uniforms so expensive? And do we need them?

As families rush to get children ready for the new school year, uniforms remain a major financial pressure, with tens of thousands of families needing hardship payments to cover back-to-school costs.

Last year, more than 38,000 hardship payments were granted to help with school expenses, totalling over $11 million. Thousands of Facebook users are also turning to online groups for second-hand sales to kit out their children.

Otago University public health researcher Johanna Reidy says cost is a major concern for families, based on her feasibility study of three Wellington co-ed high schools across the equity index.

One in 10 students reported their parents had borrowed money to pay for uniforms, while one in four said the cost was paid off over time. Even among families who paid up front, 20 percent said it caused worry.

"The problem is that there isn't actually a national snapshot of what uniforms are being used, how boards are deciding what uniforms will be the core compulsory garments, and how they're worn across the year. We don't know," Reidy told Nine to Noon.

She says boards should consult closely with their communities and ensure there's real choice and competition among suppliers.

Uniforms were partially introduced in the 1800s alongside compulsory education to curb "competitive dressing" and act as "social camouflage", Reidy says.

"If you're wearing basically the same kit as everybody else in your classroom, then the big outwardly visible socioeconomic differences aren't going to be that clear."

That rationale still underpins many uniform policies today, she says.

At Papanui High School in Christchurch, uniforms have been reintroduced for Year 13 students this year after decades without them, despite strong opposition from students and the wider community.

Principal Robert Gilbert cited safety concerns, saying it had become difficult to distinguish senior students from non-students on site.

"We have certainly had unwanted people on site, usually from other schools not in uniform and causing havoc in our school, and it has become a health and safety issue," he told Checkpoint last year, adding that students had sometimes been blamed for off-site behaviour they weren't responsible for.

Reinstating uniforms is also about avoiding division and fostering pride among Year 13s, he says.

At Westlake Boys' High School, headmaster Paul Fordham says the school's full uniform — costing roughly $550 — is central to its identity.

"When they are arriving at school with a strong sense of identity, they're confident, and therefore they engage across the school in a better way as well," he told Morning Report.

"I know there's some commentary around school uniforms and the cost attached to that, but it means that there's no other clothing required to be purchased for school throughout the year."

Some schools are also ensuring it's not a barrier to access from the start. For example, at Middle School West Auckland, students are given a uniform for free when they start, which is replaced at no cost if it wears out or they outgrow it.

Principal Warren Cook estimates it costs the school roughly $150-$200 for each set. His driving force to keep it free is remembering how hard school life was being raised by a solo mother on social welfare support.

"There's a lot of benefits to having a school uniform and not having a school uniform, but I suppose the main one is it puts everyone on a level playing field," he says.

Students only pay if uniforms are deliberately damaged or lost. "That makes them take ownership of what they've been given for free."

At primary level, uniforms have become far more common over the past two decades, says Māngere Bridge-based Waterlea School principal Andrea Jamieson. One benefit, she says, is reducing anxiety around what to wear — something she's seeing emerge earlier in childhood.

Not all schools are convinced though. Auckland-based Western Springs College has long rejected uniforms, believing clothing choice is part of the learning process.

Principal Ivan Davis says it's a deeply valued part of the school's culture.

"You'd be a very, very brave principal indeed to abandon that policy at Western Springs College."

He says students value being able to express themselves and feel comfortable — and he questions how much uniforms truly foster pride.

"How many of them wear their school uniform out on the weekend?"

While some rules apply, Davis says dress-code disputes are rare. He believes not having a uniform removes the confrontation aspect between adults and adolescents.

On cost, Davis argues most students wear clothes they already own.

"To say that a school uniform is going to last you the five years at high school, I just don't buy it… The one exception to that is probably the blazer, which you don't wear every day."

Reidy says her review of literature found no evidence that uniforms directly improve academic achievement, though they may help reduce classroom distractions.

"It's indirectly helpful, but it's not a flash uniform, it's any uniform."

Reidy found secondary school uniforms can cost anywhere from $250 to about $1000.

"Even the most competitively priced uniform can be unaffordable when there are other demands on the family budget."

NZ Uniforms supplies uniforms to about 400 schools nationwide. Chief executive David Bunnell says while costs have risen due to inflation, increases have been kept modest "and strictly tied to rising material and logistics costs".

"Our focus is on long-term value," he says, noting that durable uniforms support a strong second-hand market, "proving more cost-effective than frequently replacing everyday 'street' clothing".

Prices can also reflect specialised fabrics, custom designs, smaller production runs, and labour-intensive items like kilts and pleated skirts.

"We also partner with accredited factories both locally and off-shore that ensure safe work practices and fair remuneration," Bunnell says.

At Waterlea School, Jamieson says uniform branding can add to the cost. So the school offers low-cost branded options, second-hand items from $2, and allows plain navy clothing when kids are moving between homes often.

Many schools and uniform shops offer second-hand options or donation schemes. Some schools, like Westlake Boys', run resale programmes where families can recoup part of the cost.

At Porirua College, principal Ragne Maxwell told Checkpoint some students delay starting school because they can't afford a uniform. The college funds a significant part of the uniform costs and can gift a basic uniform for students who need it.

Burnside High School principal Scott Haines says the school runs a hardship fund supported by school resources, local fundraising, and international student income.

NZ Uniforms also operates a Uniform Club and works with Work and Income and community organisations.

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