By Jayne McCormack

Copyright bbc

When the debate got under way, the SDLP’s Daniel McCrossan said MLAs were hearing from constituents about the high price of uniforms “day and daily”.

He said families were paying more than £100 for a single blazer “often more when the school insists on specific suppliers”.

Sinn Féin’s Pat Sheehan called the bill “a very watered down piece of legislation and we’re not even sure what impact it will have”.

“In my view it seems to be that the minister is involved in a bit of window dressing,” he added.

However, Givan said the bill had been approved by the executive.

“This bill is a product of the Northern Ireland Executive of which your parties have representatives on,” the education minister said.

“There was opportunity to seek that legislation to be changed, to have inclusion within it by your members of the executive.”

In a statement after the debate, Givan said the bill would provide the necessary powers to ensure schools adhere to statutory guidance to address affordability of school uniforms.

Addressing criticisms of the bill, the education minister said: “Suggesting that this legislation will not deliver for parents fundamentally misrepresents both the purpose and the strength of the bill.

“This bill requires that school uniforms are affordable and it places a clear statutory duty on the department to issue guidelines that address the cost burden on parents, while allowing schools the clarity and flexibility to implement these changes effectively.”

It is likely the bill will have its final stage in the assembly in October 2025.