Getting the kids ready for school will be more affordable under Labour with cheaper uniforms, healthy school lunches, rural school buses back on the road, and lower transport costs.
- Cheaper uniforms: a law change limits the number of branded items schools can insist on, lets families buy cheaper alternatives from places like The Warehouse or Kmart, and requires schools to consider affordability. In place by Term 1 2028
- Healthy school lunches back from Term 1 2028: fresh and locally made, prepared in school kitchens, by iwi and hapū partners, or by local caterers
- Lunch funding: $5 per meal, and $6.50 for students in Years 9 to 13
- Rural school bus routes: national cancelled restored where possible, with a practical alternative where not
- Fare cap: $20 a week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, $10 everywhere else, from 1 July 2027. Once the cap is reached, all remaining trips to and from school that week are free
- Fuel tax freeze: for three years
Every parent wants to give their kids the best start in life. But the cost of getting them to school keeps going up.
A secondary school uniform can cost as much as $1,000. Then there's the cost of school lunches, bus fares and petrol for the school run. For families already struggling with the cost of living, it all adds up.
Labour will take practical action to bring these costs down and make life easier for parents.
Make school uniforms affordable
You shouldn't have to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive uniforms just to send your child to school.
Labour will change the law to:
- Limit the number of branded uniform items schools can insist parents buy
- Let families buy cheaper alternatives from places like The Warehouse or Kmart
- Require schools to consider what parents can afford when setting uniform rules
- Track uniform prices to make sure costs are coming down
Schools can still have their own colours and uniforms. But parents shouldn't be forced to buy expensive branded clothing when cheaper alternatives will do the job.
The new rules will be in place by the first term in 2028.
Bring back healthy school lunches
National, ACT and New Zealand First took a school lunch programme that was working and made it worse.
Labour will bring back fresh, healthy, locally made school lunches from Term 1 2028.
Lunches will be prepared in school kitchens, by iwi and hapū partners, or by local caterers, with funding of $5 per meal and $6.50 for students in Years 9 to 13.
That means a decent lunch for kids, one less cost for parents, and more work for local food businesses.
Bring back rural school buses
National has put extra costs on rural families by cutting school bus routes.
Many parents have been left driving further, spending more on petrol, or trying to find another way to get their kids to school.
Labour will work to restore the rural school bus routes National cancelled. Where that's no longer possible, we'll work with local communities to find a practical alternative.
Kids should be able to get to school safely, without parents having to spend a fortune getting them there.
Cheaper buses and trains and a three-year fuel tax freeze
Parents shouldn't have to fork out hundreds of dollars a year just to get their kids to school by bus or train.
Labour will cap public transport fares at $20 a week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 everywhere else, from 1 July 2027.
Once you reach the weekly cap, the remaining trips to and from school that week will be free. That means cheaper travel for kids getting to school and parents getting to work.
And for families who rely on their cars, we won't add to the cost of filling up. Labour will freeze fuel tax for three years.
These are practical, common-sense changes that will make a real difference to family budgets.
Part of Labour's Cost of Living Plan
Cutting back-to-school costs is part of Labour's wider plan to bring down the bills you face every week. See the full Cost of Living Plan for everything Labour will do on healthcare, power, transport and groceries.
How will Labour make school uniforms more affordable?
Labour will change the law to:
- Limit the number of branded uniform items schools can insist parents buy
- Let families buy cheaper alternatives from places like The Warehouse or Kmart
- Require schools to consider what parents can afford when setting uniform rules
- Track uniform prices to make sure costs are coming down
Will schools still be able to have their own uniforms?
Yes. Schools can still have their own colours and uniforms. Labour's policy aims to reduce the pressure parents often feel to buy expensive branded clothing when cheaper alternatives will do the job.
When will these changes start?
- 1 July 2027: the public transport fare cap begins
- Term 1 2028: the new school uniform rules are in place, and fresh, healthy, locally made school lunches return
- Fuel tax: frozen for three years
- Rural school buses: Labour will work to restore the routes National cancelled, and where that is no longer possible will work with local communities to find a practical alternative
What will the school lunches be like, and how much will they be funded at?
Labour will bring back fresh, healthy, locally made school lunches from Term 1 2028. Lunches will be prepared in school kitchens, by iwi and hapū partners, or by local caterers, with funding of $5 per meal and $6.50 for students in Years 9 to 13.
Why is Labour bringing back school lunches?
National, ACT and New Zealand First took a school lunch programme that was working and made it worse. Bringing it back means a decent lunch for kids, one less cost for parents, and more work for local food businesses.
What is Labour doing about rural school buses?
National has put extra costs on rural families by cutting school bus routes, leaving many parents driving further, spending more on petrol, or looking for another way to get their kids to school. Labour will work to restore the rural school bus routes National cancelled, and where that is no longer possible will work with local communities to find a practical alternative.
How will the public transport fare cap help with getting to school?
From 1 July 2027, public transport fares will be capped at $20 a week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 a week everywhere else. Once you reach the weekly cap, the remaining trips to and from school that week will be free, making travel cheaper for kids getting to school and parents getting to work.
What is Labour's fuel tax freeze?
Labour will freeze fuel tax for three years, so families who rely on their cars won't face added costs when filling up.
How is this paid for?
Labour's election commitments are fully costed and fully funded, as set out in the independently reviewed Fiscal Plan. The public transport fare cap is funded by reprioritising 1% of the National Land Transport Fund, and the fuel tax freeze is fully funded within the Fiscal Plan.
How does this fit into Labour's wider cost of living plan?
Cutting back-to-school costs is part of Labour's Cost of Living Plan, which also includes three free GP visits a year, free prescriptions, solar with no upfront cost, a ban on price gouging, and action on hidden fees.
Cheaper uniforms. Better school lunches. School buses back on the road. Lower transport costs.
Better starts now.
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