Uninvited GOSTs: schools may face supplies of substandard uniforms
Poor—quality school uniforms can end up in schools - such risks were identified in Rospotrebnadzor after the introduction of GOST for these clothes in 2025. As the head of the department, Anna Popova, warned in a letter to First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, the provisions of the national standard do not fully comply with current technical regulations and may create corruption risks. Although the standard is voluntary, the Government is considering the possibility of using it in public procurement of uniforms to support millions of children from large families. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and Rosstandart are talking about the possibility of adjusting GOST, while Roskachestvo considers criticism of the standard unfounded.
What problems were identified in the guest on the school uniform
GOST "Students' clothing (school uniforms). General technical requirements" contains an incorrect combination of standards for hygroscopicity, breathability and formaldehyde content, which contradicts the requirements of the current technical regulations (TR CU 007/2011). This is stated in a letter from the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, to First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, which was reviewed by Izvestia. In addition, the ministry stressed that the concept of "school uniform" is not fixed in legislation, therefore, checking for compliance with GOST R 71582-2024 misleads consumers. They also drew attention to the possible corruption risk when using the standard.
"It is connected with the activities of the joint‑stock company Innovative Research and Production Center of Textile and Light Industry (developer of the standard. — Izvestia), which will certify children's clothing for compliance with GOST, which contradicts the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation, since clothing must undergo a procedure for assessing compliance with technical regulations," says Anna Popova's letter.
As a source in government agencies explained to Izvestia, Rospotrebnadzor's concerns may be related to the risk that, in the case of mandatory mass application of GOST in all secondary educational institutions in the country, quality control of a huge array of school clothes will take place through a single production center. While product inspections for technical regulations are currently carried out by hundreds of testing laboratories, which eliminates the concentration of authority in the hands of a narrow range of organizations, the source added.
GOST for school uniforms came into force on September 3, 2025. It was developed by Roskachestvo and the Innovative Research and Production Center for Textile and Light Industry, subordinate to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The standard defines the mandatory characteristics of clothing, from the composition and breathability of the fabric to the safety of the fittings. In Russia, GOST standards have a voluntary status: those manufacturers who want to have the right to appropriate labeling must comply with their requirements.
However, at the end of last year, relevant departments began discussing the possibility of using it for public procurement programs to support large families, the document says. Anna Popova's letter states that GOST carries the risk of "reducing the quality of children's clothing on the market."
— If we are talking about agreeing on the recommendation of the authorities for Russian entities to apply GOST in public procurement, then the dissemination of requirements may become widespread. In most regions, children from large families receive benefits for free school uniforms. We can talk about more than 7 million such students. Taking into account the cost of the kit in the region of 10-15 thousand rubles and above, the introduction of GOST into public procurement may affect a market of more than 10 billion rubles," said Dmitry Tortev, a member of the expert council of the State Duma Committee for the Protection of Competition.
Izvestia sent inquiries to the Innovative Research and Production Center for Textile and Light Industry, the office of First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Rospotrebnadzor, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Rosstandart, Rosaccreditation, Roskachestvo, the Ministry of Education, as well as manufacturers of school uniforms.
"We fully support the position of the head of Rospotrebnadzor that GOST R 71582-2024 is quite crude and the requirements for children's clothing, primarily fabrics, should be high enough, since children wear uniforms five to six days a week for six to eight hours," the Union of Textile and Light Industry Entrepreneurs told Izvestia. Soyuzlegprom.
They noted that the industry and society expected that GOST would become a tool for strengthening control over the quality and safety of school clothes, primarily fabrics, since it was in textiles that the most critical problems were identified during inspections. For parents, GOST was supposed to be a guideline of proven quality. However, the standard is divided into two indicators — "optimal" and "acceptable", which allows manufacturers to choose for themselves how high-quality products to produce within the framework of GOST.
— The values of the "acceptable" indicator are the minimum possible for the safety of the child and are intended for short—term school uniforms. At the same time, the values of the "optimal" indicator represent a full—fledged level for the safety and comfort of children, Soyuzlegprom said.
Fabrics corresponding to the values of the "acceptable" indicator cannot be used for sewing uniforms designed for continuous long-term wear, they explained. This contradicts the very purpose of creating the standard and cannot guarantee the full provision of safe clothing for children, the union added.
Opinions about GOST are divided
Roskachestvo did not agree with the risks identified by Rospotrebnadzor, it follows from a letter from the head of the organization Maxim Protasov to Denis Manturov, which was reviewed by Izvestia. The document states that voluntary certification according to GOST is not a substitute for mandatory confirmation of conformity of goods with technical regulations. The head of Roskachestvo also stressed that today there are various product names that are not fixed by law, but are included in the product range. For example: kvass, sushi, shawarma, thermal underwear, etc. GOST standards for such products exist or are being developed.
The manufacturer applies GOST voluntarily, based on his own desire to produce clothes with improved characteristics, but this does not release the manufacturer from the obligation to comply with technical regulations and verify compliance with its requirements, confirmed by Izvestia and Rosstandart.
—National standards are living documents that are promptly amended or that can be quickly revised if there are relevant requests from interested parties," they added.
The GOST in question is being widely discussed with industry experts, and it is planned to finalize it in terms of expanding the verification of quality characteristics in order to make school uniforms even more reliable and safe, the Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasized to Izvestia.
Traditionally, the labeling "Made according to GOST" is perceived by consumers as a quality mark and increases confidence in the product and the manufacturer. In the context of price competition between domestic manufacturers of school uniforms and imported products, the introduction of additional quality standards is becoming another tool for product promotion, the ministry stressed.
A compromise option for applying GOST may be to adjust the standard with the exception of provisions that duplicate technical regulations or go beyond its scope, says Anatoly Semenov, General Director of the Association of Parallel Imports. To avoid corruption risks, the inclusion of other laboratories in the GOST certification process, in addition to the Innovation Center for Textile and Light Industry. As a source in government agencies explained to Izvestia, many laboratories will be able to certify school uniforms if they receive the necessary permits from Rosaccreditation.
The dispute between the departments over school uniforms has a very important legal and even constitutional aspect, said Sergey Shakhray, an Honored Lawyer of Russia: in accordance with the Basic Law, the issue belongs to the joint jurisdiction of the federal center and the subjects of the Russian Federation. Therefore, the problem of introducing school uniforms in the country cannot be solved without seeking the opinion of regions, territories, republics and cities of federal significance, the expert believes. In his opinion, the Public Chamber could become a platform for discussing and collecting citizens' opinions.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
