As schools reopen on Monday after a three-week-long winter break, parents in the UAE are not very pleased about the added burden of purchasing expensive winter-specific uniforms.
The high price of school-branded winter wear is considered unnecessary for a brief cold season, prompting parents to look for alternative ways to keep their children warm as temperatures drop.
While these expenses may not heavily impact some families’ budgets, many argue that after spending around Dh2,000 on school uniforms and supplies at the start of the academic year, any additional costs for winter-specific uniforms are unwelcome.
These extra costs weigh more, particularly when children quickly outgrow their clothes and winter in the country is short-lived.
British expat Sally Maddison, whose children are in Grade 1 and KG1, said, “We bring all our winter clothes from the UK, stocking up every summer. However, I do not like woollen clothing as I find itchy. We prefer hoodies, long trousers, and long-sleeved tops for winter wear. School uniforms are expensive, especially since kids often lose their hoodies.
“Therefore, I label all their uniforms with their names. At Fairgreen School in Sustainable City, where my daughter and my son go, school-branded hoodies cost Dh115 each, which adds up quickly when replacements are needed. Trousers are also available, and parents can opt for those during the winter months, but they also come at a similar premium.”
While some turn to community WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages to find second-hand school items, they point out that getting everything pre-owned is not always possible.
Bhavya Rao took the school uniforms out of the cupboard on Saturday to make sure they were clean and ready.
“However, I’ll be buying a few school jumpers for my two daughters today. On average, we spend about Dh700 yearly, mostly on sweaters and jackets with the school logo. Earlier, I thought my younger daughter could wear hand-me-downs from her older sister, but since there’s a four-year age gap, I’ve realised that some items stored for too long, even with mothballs and dry cleaning, tend to wear out over time.”
Schools sometimes enforce policies requiring students to wear official uniforms with the school’s logo, leaving parents with no choice but to spend more.
Rao added, “Also, the winter uniforms must be purchased from school-approved tailors, with monograms, leaving no other options. A V-neck sweater costs Dh138, and jumpers are even more expensive. Children often lose their clothes as well, and my younger one, who’s in PreKG, tends to get them dirty frequently, so they require constant washing, and in this weather, it doesn’t always dry up quickly. So, I buy at least two pairs for each child.”
This term, the mother of two will buy new school shoes for the children. “They wear out quickly for little children. The hook-and-loop shoes from any decent brand are priced around Dh100 if I can pick them on sale; otherwise, they can be even more expensive,” Rao added.
Meanwhile, the UAE recorded its coldest day so far this winter on Sunday, and the country experienced rainfall across various areas, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, and Ras Al Khaimah.
Manal S, a Dubai resident, said, “The weather got really cold during the holidays. Young children can’t go out without woollens, especially in the mornings when they go to school. They have jackets and sweatshirts, but the school does not allow them. They insist that we buy woollens from the school-mandated uniform supplier. And these cost a lot — over Dh100 per jacket.
“If I look at options outside, I can easily get one for between Dh30-50. But now I have to shell out Dh200 for my two children. The biggest problem is they will use these hardly for a month.”
Arijit Nandi’s son, who goes to an IB curriculum school, highlighted that his son’s school permits students to wear plain blue or grey sweaters.
“My wife usually purchases these woollens from the school’s sales, where good-condition hand-me-downs are available in the foyer. Otherwise, if she doesn’t get the right size, she buys them from discount outlet stores in the UAE. These plain navy-blue sweaters are affordable, functional for the mild UAE winters, and only needed for a few months.
“While they don’t have the school logo, they are of decent quality and perfectly serve the purpose. A school uniform centre’s jacket would cost around Dh170, or Dh240 for two, so it’s far more practical to opt for these alternatives at a fraction of the price,” he added. “Sometimes these jackets are made of fleece and not even pure wool. Therefore, we are not fussed about brand new jackets since they are used primarily during January and early February,” added the Indian expat.
Some are minimising expenses on winter uniforms by reusing items from the previous year that are still wearable.
American expat Natalia Miranda said, “We have one school sweater, so my son Anish will be using that. I’m not buying any winter clothes this year since they outgrow these quickly. However, I’ll head to the mall to get his lunch box and other school supplies. Usually, the winter uniforms must be purchased from specific tailors approved by the school, as they need to have the official logos and design, so there’s no other option. But my son can use the existing jumper at least for one more year.”
© Khaleej Times
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