School uniforms putting strain on families

Morning Report · Oct 12, 2026 · 5m

With the cost of living central to this election, the focus on savings has turned to school uniforms. Both Labour and ACT say they want to limit compulsory branded items and require schools to allow cheaper generic alternatives that meet their uniform rules. Otago University lecturer Dr Johanna Reidy has been researching the impact uniform costs have on families for years. She spoke to John Campbell.