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Some Schools Allow Students to Wear Casual Clothes to School First as There Are Delays in the Supply of School Uniform

2022-12-24 , 8:29 am

What was your childhood dream?

No, we’re not asking you what your ambition was. We’re asking what’s one thing you always wanted to do as a child.

If your answer is “going to school in casual clothes”, you’ll be filled with jealousy once you find out about this: some schools are allowing students to wear casual clothes to school.

Here’s why.

Shortage of School Uniforms Locally

The December holidays have been a good break for students, but it’s all about to come to a close as the 2023 school year draws nearer.

With the 2023 school year approaching, many uniform companies have seen a spike in their online sales.

However, due to delays in the delivery of fabrics, uniforms and other materials, these companies are seeing a shortage of school uniforms.

As such, several schools are allowing their students to turn up to school in casual clothes.

Delays in Delivery and Manufacturing

The uniform supplier United Uniforms gets its school uniforms from factories in Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Vietnam.

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, the director of United Uniforms shared that the company had ordered fabrics from a Malaysian factory in February.

Yet, the fabrics did not arrive until October. This eight-month gap is attributed to delays in the delivery of the fabrics from Penang to Singapore.

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He also shared that due to issues with transport as well as worker strikes, production in Indonesian uniform factories has been affected as well. He also notes that the current batch of school uniforms will likely be delivered to Singapore only after schools reopen.

Rise in Prices of School Uniforms

School uniform companies have also experienced delivery delays due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in China.

I mean, what did you expect? With a large nation like China loosening its restrictions, it’s bound to affect us in one way or another. You probably just didn’t expect it to impact supplies of school uniforms specifically.

However, that’s not the only way China’s lifting of its zero-COVID policy could affect us. Watch this video to find out how else it affects Singapore:

Also, the prices of school uniforms appear to be rising as well.

Delivery costs for a particular school uniform company have reportedly risen by 20%. Coupled with a rise in fabric prices by up to 20% for the company, several school uniforms have seen a price hike by 50 cents to $1.

Coupled with the GST hike coming next year, 2023 isn’t going to be easy for Singaporeans’ wallets.

Parents Experiencing Difficulties Buying Their Children’s School Uniforms

A parent interviewed by Lianhe Zaobao shared that she had specially applied for leave from her job on Thursday (22 Dec) to bring her son to United Uniforms’ store in Toa Payoh. Unfortunately, the uniform pants and PE pants she was looking to purchase for her son were out of stock.

Her son will be a Primary One at St. Joseph’s Institution Junior in the coming year.

The parent added that she had visited the school earlier in December to purchase her son’s school uniform. Although she managed to buy a set of the school’s PE shirt and the uniform top, pants in her son’s size were out of stock.

Now, she plans to ask her relatives for hand-me-downs from their sons who used to study at the same school.

Another parent interviewed by Lianhe Zaobao shared that her daughter managed to purchase school uniforms in November but has been unable to buy PE shirts and pants until now.

In the coming year, her daughter will enrol as a Primary One student at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School, which has announced recently that students are allowed to wear their own dark-coloured shorts to school.