Inquiry into school uniform prices still in progress

The investigation into school uniform prices will take longer than expected in order to ensure that as much information as possible is collected, the Office of Fair Competition said yesterday.

To date, 133 schools and over 1,000 parents have participated in the investigation and, following an analysis of the outcome, the OFC said it has determined further aspects that also have to be looked into.

Among others, the OFC has recommended that, following a call for tenders, multiple establishments should be allowed to sell school uniforms. Furthermore, schools are to be advised to avoid complex designs in their uniforms, reducing expenses and ultimately the price.

The OFC said the issue is presently being discussed with the Education Division so that guidelines could be determined.

Earlier this week Labour's education spokesman Evarist Bartolo criticised the fact that the investigation had not yet been concluded, five months after it started.