Uniform material for school students, instead of vouchers
View(s):The Education Ministry has reverted its decision to issue vouchers for school uniforms, and will provide uniform material to school students by the end of this year, for the 2021 academic year.
This decision was approved by the Cabinet this week, and plans to purchase uniform material from local suppliers are taking place.
Education Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said, when vouchers are purchased the total amount should be deposited to the bank initially, but when uniform material is issued payment to suppliers is done only once the material is issued.
“This will ease the massive financial burden on the Government. The prices of a metre of uniform material available in the market was compared with the price of a metre by a local manufacturer. There was a clear benefit for the Government when purchasing locally,” the Minister said.
The Minister said the Sri Lanka Textile Manufacturers Association could provide 12 million metres of uniform material for 2003 million rupees (including manufacturing, packaging, storing and distribution) and the Government will save Rs. 515.9 million rupees, because of this.
The Minister said it had also been found out that providing uniform material free of charge encourages Government school students and student bikkhus to attend school.
The Education Ministry is seeking 2100 million rupees from the Treasury to purchase uniform material from local textile manufactures registered under the Industries Ministry.
Minister Alahapperuma said the students should be given either vouchers or material by the end of this year, for next year’s school uniforms.
The Education Ministry had been supplying school uniform material from 1993 onwards. However since 2015, vouchers were handed to students to purchase material.