Schools due refund for shoddy uniforms

Schools can ask for refunds if the school uniforms they order fail quality tests, according to a new clause added to uniform contracts yesterday by the city's market watchdogs.

The clause was added as a result of batches of uniforms having been found in February to contain toxic dyes.

Manufacturers of substandard uniforms also must pay compensation for breach of contract, according to the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau, which has stepped up efforts to protect students' health following the uniform scandal.

Shanghai established a dual check system for school uniforms after a cancer-causing dye was found in some of the clothing.

Schools must send a sample of uniforms for quality tests and only those that meet standards can be offered to students.

Suppliers must send samples of each batch of uniforms for quality tests before they sell the clothes to schools. Authorities will ban factories that produce uniforms that fail tests from supplying clothes to schools and suppliers will have their business licenses revoked. Factory owners could face trial.

Schools must check the reports of testing agencies when they receive uniforms they ordered.

Shanghai Ouxia Clothing Co Ltd was found to have used banned aromatic amine dyes, a carcinogenic substance, during checks early this year.

More than 20 schools were found to have bought uniforms from the company, and many children had worn them.