school uniform illegal?

[mollykins]

Is it illegal for a state school to only have one supplier for their uniform?

I don't think so, as wouldn't the school find the cheapest place in the area, but its been going around that because we can only get it from the one shop, its illegal as there needs to be at least two for competition.

But i don't think that this supplier who the school have been with for five years now is the cheapest anymore, its £18 per jumper and £12 per polo shirt.

[mollykins]

And before anyone says anything about using contraception, i'm pretty sure they're catholic.

[saxy_jag]

A couple of years ago, I bought 40 embroidered polo shirts for my band at a cost of around £7 each.

Sadly, when suppliers tender to local authorities, cost isn't always the deciding factor. The authorities will want to be assured that goods can be produced in sufficient quantity and reasonable time.

Departments and schools in our authority have to buy through a central purchasing organisation, to whom companies tender for supply. That organisation isn't directly funded by taxpayers, so they're not answerable to them in the same way. The authority relies on the purchasing organisation to make the best deals on their behalf. When when we buy goods and services for the department, we have to go to companies that are approved by this organisation. They aren't always the cheapest and they're not necessarily the best, either. But we're bound by the authority's contract to do so. Sadly, mollykins, it's not illegal, although I suspect a few palms are greased in the whole process.

[edu-lawyer]

It is illegal for schools to operate a sole supplier policy. It is in breach of competition law. Schools, under government guidelines should not profit from the sale of school uniforms - yet all sole supplier arrangements (according to my own research) pay commission to the school per each item or per each order.

Single supplier arrangements also go against government policy in respect to ensuring that uniforms are affordable. Single supplier policy means no competition and higher prices.

See also this link: http://tinyurl.com/ydsr9nc


Pol Media URL: http://tinyurl.com/yj55ljz
Description: Single supplier school uniform policy is illegal