Parents complain of high uniform prices in private schools

Parents complained in private schools, the high prices of school uniforms compared to its modest quality, as they find that the school uniform is sold at exaggerated prices compared to its quality, especially with the requirement of buying it from the schools itself.

The families of students told «Emirates Today» that they found in the local sewing a practical option to avoid high prices, and to ensure better quality that lasts a longer period, especially when it comes to more than one child in the school, while private school principals confirmed that the prices of school uniforms are linked to the quality of the product, explaining that the high costs are caused The final price is raised.

In a field tour of «Emirates Today» on a number of private schools, large differences emerged in the prices of school uniforms, despite the similarity of designs and materials. In some schools, the basic setting price does not exceed 200 dirhams, while it jumps in another to 500 and 600 dirhams, while obliging parents to buy additional accessories, such as jackets, hats and bags, at high prices, under the name “school identity”.

The problematic intensity of the schools increased to 1300 dirhams, against another, which ranged between 600 and 1100 dirhams, which sparked the dissatisfaction of the parents who at the same time face great financial obligations, including tuition fees, books, transportation, and the requirements for returning to school, in the absence of a unified framework that sets clear criteria for controlling school uniform prices.

Students’ mothers told “Emirates Today” their dissatisfaction with the mechanism of sale, prices and the quality of school uniforms, stressing that schools are forced to buy from one resource, without the freedom to choose or flexibility in the quantity.

The guardian, Reham Jamal, from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, said: “The quality is bad, and there is no freedom, as school administrations compel us to buy from the school ports, and the value of the uniform must be paid through it, and the worst is that the parents are prohibited from buying as much as their actual needs, but the full crews should be purchased.”

As for the guardian, Ghada Sabri, from the Emirate of Sharjah, said: “I had to buy the uniform from other stores, because its price in school is more expensive, and the materials are also worse, and it is not logical to bear a higher cost for a lower quality.”

The guardian of the matter, Amani Ashraf, from Ajman, and has four daughters in different educational seminars, that “the materials of the school uniform are mostly available (polyester), and the high temperatures are not suitable, and the cotton clothes are the best choice, especially for students, so I buy the fabric myself, and separate the outfit at a tail The most appropriate.

Mayada Hassan said: “There are shops that provide a large number of schools, with an acceptable quality and a suitable price, and mothers can buy from these stores, especially since their prices are appropriate, and clothes materials are in high quality, and you can make the outfit according to the specifications of each school.”

Parents emphasized: Adel Shehata, Ihab Ziada, and Hossam Munther, stressed that schools do not leave the parents the freedom to choose the source of the outfit, but rather forcing them to buy from specific stores, exclusively contracting with them.

They added: “It is striking that many private schools monopolize the sale of the outfit through only one resource, and students often prevent students from wearing a similar costume that has been detailed outside the school, even if the form of form and specifications”, explaining that the policy of monopoly forces them to buy it at exorbitant prices amid the escalation of financial burdens of families.

And they continued: “We are not against adhering to the school dress, but we are against turning into a commercial door that burdens families without any actual compensation in quality or comfort.”

They demanded that a clear price ceiling be placed for the school uniform, and the availability of freedom of purchase from any party, as long as the student adheres to the required specifications, stressing the importance of subjecting suppliers to evaluation and review, preventing the monopoly of supply, or imposing additional products that are not necessary.

Sam Khan, Khan, in one of Sharjah’s stores, said that “the demand for the school uniform has increased since the beginning of August, where the parents are keen on early demand to avoid crowding, and ensure that high -quality fabrics bears daily use,” stressing that they are working additional hours to deliver requests on time.

As for Mona Youssef, sewing in Ajman, she indicated that this season is the most active, as it begins to receive requests since mid -summer, with a full commitment to the approved school designs, and the parents advised the early seizure to avoid delay, and to stay away from the pressure of requests.

On the other hand, private school principals, who preferred not to mention their names, stressed that they do not raise the prices of school uniforms with the aim of profit, as prices are linked to suppliers and adherence to quality standards that reflect the school image.

They explained that the high cost is due to several factors, including increasing the prices of raw materials, relying on one resource, and adopting special designs bearing the identity of the school, in addition to buying limited quantities, as well as transportation expenses, storage and logistical operations that raise the final price. They reserved the answer to the existence of a unified framework that regulates the prices of school uniforms in private schools, and the reasons for their objection to the use of parents of other sources to obtain the uniform for their children.

The educational expert, Dr. Youssef Sharabi, stressed the importance of confronting the phenomenon of high school uniform prices, as it requires a strict commitment to schools to complete transparency in disclosing the details of production and distribution costs. He explained that opening the door to supply to multiple companies represents a fundamental step to enhance a healthy competitive environment, which leads to quality improvement and costs.

He stressed the need to enable parents to participate actively in choosing the supplier and design, in addition to providing financial support for families with limited income, and adopting high -quality materials and long -term sustainability, which contributes to reducing future costs thanks to their durability.

He called for the necessity of joining efforts between the Ministry of Education, regulatory authorities, educational institutions, and suppliers, to set a unified framework and strict standards, a balance between quality and price. He called for the establishment of effective monitoring mechanisms that limit monopolistic practices, and prevent any unjustified increases in prices.

He stressed the need to compel schools to explicitly disclose the uniform prices, and to provide detailed receipts for purchase, in addition to launching support initiatives directed to needy families, in cooperation with charitable societies, and the establishment of an integrated complaints system that allows prices to review periodically, and guarantee justice and transparency.

He stressed that the application of these reforms will contribute to providing a high quality school uniform and a fair price, which reduces the financial burden on families, and enhances a more fair and stable educational environment.