Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons is urging Government to ease school uniform requirements to help parents strapped for cash in the economic crisis.Dr Gibbons suggested rules could be relaxed on a temporary basis, allowing regulation sweaters as an alternative to more expensive blazers.With the public school year due to start this Friday, Dr Gibbons said in a statement yesterday: “Because of Bermuda's deteriorating economy and job losses, some parents of school-age children are having a particularly hard time outfitting them for school this year.“Having heard from parents and constituents, as well as my colleagues in the One Bermuda Alliance, I would like to suggest that the Minister and the Department of Education give some thought to temporarily easing the uniform requirements.“For example, instead of requiring expensive items like blazers, regulation sweaters could suffice as an alternative.“I know schools like to make sure their students present a uniform and disciplined appearance, and I certainly approve most of the time.“However, after three years of a depressed economy and increasing unemployment with no recovery in sight, there seems to be a good and special reason to show some flexibility this year. We hope the schools will be able to tighten uniform requirements back up again next year, should the economy begin to stabilise.”He applauded the efforts of PTAs and charitable organisations which have set up recycling and exchange programmes for second-hand school uniforms.Meanwhile the Department of Education released a statement in response to The Royal Gazette's request for an explanation on why students are starting on a Friday.“The dates for the opening of school were communicated to parents early in the third term of the last school year,” read the statement.“There are a certain number of days that must be allocated for professional development within the collective bargaining agreements for principals and teachers.“In addition, we have scheduled the calendar to meet the requirement of 200 teaching days. This must be worked around Labour Day.“Parents will also be aware that last year the Ministry amended the school calendar to ensure that the mid-term actually occurs in the middle of the term to allow for assessments within schools.”Do you have any thoughts on the price of school uniform, or on your child going back to school this Friday? E-mail news@royalgazette.bm