Plastic instead of wooden furniture in schools: AVK
View(s):The Ministry of Education (MoE) is to replace wooden desks and chairs in schools with plastic furniture, in view of the high cost, said Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam . The project will commence by replacing furniture in at least 2 GCE (A/L) classes and expanding it to other A/L classes by next year, followed by Grade 5 classes.
“The system is operative in countries such as Japan,” he said. He said, currently, a wooden desk and chair was costly, while it has been revealed that persons supplying furniture to schools enjoy a monopoly. “We could have introduced the system earlier, if not for pressure from vested interests,” he added.
He added they had medical approval for the plastic desks and chairs which will have a guarantee of 4-5 years.
- DW