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Aldi (incl Sligo) launches school uniform range for €5

Sligo parents will be delighted to learn this morning that an entire school uniform, in a range of colours, can now be bought for €5. No misprint that's....€5.

The news will come as a godsend for hard pressed parents struggling to cope with back to school costs.

Budget supermarket Aldi, who recently opened a branch in Sligo, is selling entire primary school uniforms for just €5.

A pair of trousers or a pleated skirt will set you back €2, while polo shirts are two for €1.25 and round neck jumpers cost €1.75.

The range - for children aged between four and 11 - comes in grey, black, red, navy, white and blue will be on sale from next Thursday

One parent told SligoToday.ie, "This is great news, every year we get ripped off with some of the prices being charged by other shops. They'll probably say the quality of these uniforms and not last but so what, I've two kids at primary school so I'm going to by three uniforms each and that will do for the year."

Other parents complained about the school badges that cannot be removed from school  jumpers forcing parents to buy from selected shops who can charge as much as €35 for the crested article.

Some parents have suggested that the Parents Associations in Sligo should be more pro-active in changing school policy at Primary and Secondary level especially as some schools insist on trousers or skirts with a pattern that again can only be bought from selected shops at exorbitant prices.

A non-generic crested uniform in a Sligo primary school, along with the accessories being promoted and sold by the schools, can top €175 so the Aldi deal will be a welcome relief for parents.

Dunnes has similar school uniform items to those on offer at Aldi but they cost €15 to kit out a primary schoolchild. They charge from €3.50 for a skirt, €3.50 for two polo shirts and from €8 for a jumper.

And at Marks & Spencer it costs €17 for these basics in generic navy or grey, including a two-pack of skirts or trousers for €9, two polos for €4 and a cotton jumper for €4.

At both Dunnes and M&S, uniform prices tend to increase slightly for bigger sizes.

Meanwhile, at Arnotts, the bill for a generic skirt, single polo shirt and plain jumper comes in at €51 yesterday -- 10 times more than the Aldi option.

The Arnotts skirt and jumper were noticeably heavier fabrics than the cheaper Aldi items, suggesting they might last longer -- though only time will tell.

The Arnotts jumper was half wool, half acrylic but, unlike the cotton Aldi sweatshirt, could not be tumble dried and had to be washed at a lower temperature.

The Aldi polos, meanwhile, were pure cotton but claimed to be "easy iron", while the €5 Arnotts one was a polyester/cotton mix.

Aldi said their skirts and trousers were Teflon-coated to help resist stains and water.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn last year criticised schools that require parents to purchase uniforms from exclusive suppliers that means they can't shop around.

The Department of Education said last night that Mr Quinn supported any measures such as the use of generic uniforms or sew-on crests that would reduce costs for parents.

He had held discussions with St Vincent de Paul and Barnardos on the matter and a further meeting would take place in early September.

"However, any arrangements in this regard will have to be made between school authorities and parents, as the department cannot oblige schools or their patrons to adopt a particular uniform policy," a spokesman said.

The Sligo branch of Aldi is situated on Cranmore Road.