PUPILS at a dale primary school have chosen to have their uniforms supplied by a company that hopes to “change the garment industry” .
When Green Lane School, in Barnard Castle, was contacted by Etika, an ethical school uniform company based in Birtley, County Durham, the children were asked for their opinion.
Earlier this year the school became the first in the county to partner with the firm, which has a factory in Gujarat, India. As well as providing a better working environment for their garment workers, Etika will also reward the school by returning three per cent of the cost on each item purchased. Barnard Castle-based marketeer Jo Long, who has been working as a consultant with Etika to help spread the word, said: “The children were part of the decision making process to change the uniform. They knew it is made and where it comes from.
“Green Lane School is on the eco-train at the moment and I feel it fits really well and Etika is trying to make a change to the industry.”
The first shipment of uniforms is expected to arrive next month and eight pupils at the school have, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, had a live online tour of the factory, as well as a question-and-answer session with some of the workers.
Ms Long added: “Etika sits really well as a business and ticks a lot of boxes for me personally about where my kids’ clothes come from.
“We feel we are doing our bit for the UK by supporting the schools and we want to make an impact on the garment industry in India by improving working conditions as well as for the communities out there.”
Although workers in the garment industry are usually paid about £17 a month, at Etika they can expect to earn up to £175 a month but the uniforms are still competitively priced.
Ms Long, who son Zack also attends the school, added: “Etika is trying to change the industry and we still have to make money. We are keen to give back to the schools as well. As a mum I would rather pay an extra £5 if it meant it helps. We have had very positive feed back from everybody we have spoken to and it is not going to cost that.”
Kim Hall, business manager at Green Lane School, said: “The children were really empowered by this and have been part of the whole process. They even went out of the meeting to deliberate then came back in with more questions.” She added: “We were introduced to Etika in late 2019 and heard their ethical promise and it aligned so much with our core Christian values and we couldn’t ignore it. We’re really excited about working with Etika and the value this can bring to both our community here and the community in Gujarat in India too.”
