Parents who have been unable to buy new school uniforms for their kids due to stock shortages fear their children will be bullied for wearing non-uniform.
The school uniform supply chain has been disrupted by Covid, with a number of stores across Birmingham low in stock and parents reporting long waits for orders to arrive.
With pupils starting to return to classrooms this week, some mums and dads have been left with no choice but to send their children to school in their own clothes - prompting concerns their kids could become the target of bullies.
Yvette Jones, 41, said her daughter might have to wear leggings on her first day, as the new skirt she ordered a month ago to arrive at their local uniform shop, Clive Mark Schoolwear in Sheldon, still hadn’t arrived.
She told BirminghamLive "the old skirt doesn't fit her at all so we had already thrown it away."
"The skirts at her school have to be embroidered so we can't really just get one that looks the same.
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"I'm spending hours on the phone every day trying to find out what's happening, it's very frustrating.”
The concerned mum said her daughter already had problems with bullying. She was worried this would act as another thing for them to pick on.
"She is feeling very anxious. Children are already stressed about going back to school after everything that's happened with Covid - they don't need this extra stress."
Andreea Gârbea, from Solihull, said she was told last week that her son's uniform would take 14 days to be delivered to her local store, Monkhouse Schoolwear in Shirley.
This would mean her three-year-old would have to start school without it.
She said the situation was “really stressful” and had prompted her to buy a sweatshirt in a similar colour to help her son fit in.
"I've seen other people saying they ordered theirs in June to get it in time. I had no idea it was going to be this difficult,” she said.
"I was worried he would be the only one without a uniform but after seeing similar comments on Facebook, I think there will be a lot of other children in the same situation."
Another mum also reported long delays to her uniform order at Monkhouse.
Abigail Haden-Claybrook, 36, who lives in Studley, said her first appointment was on July 6. As several items she needed were not in stock, she ordered them in - but several pieces of clothing had not arrived, including her daughter’s PE top.
"I'm going to have to send a note saying she won't be able to do PE on her first day back at school,” she said. “I'd rather her sit it out than feel like the odd one out wearing something different or wearing something that doesn't fit her."
Monkhouse's managing director Peter Monkhouse said his shop was one of many affected by international shipping delays and the ‘pingdemic’.
“We fully appreciate and share parents’ concern over receiving school uniforms in time for the start of school, but like many other businesses in the UK, our stock supplies are being affected by international shipping delays caused by Covid," he said.
"Although we ordered stock earlier than ever to try to combat Covid complications, these shipping delays mean we are still waiting to receive a small amount of our stock and we sincerely apologise for the frustration this is causing.
"We have been in close contact with schools that are affected since April to keep them fully aware of these challenges that are affecting uniform supplies, and we are continuing to do all we can to help families get ready for school.”
