Cabinet to discuss delay in distributing school uniform vouchers

The delay in distributing school uniform vouchers will be discussed at tomorrow’s (Nov 27) cabinet meeting, Education Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.

He made these remarks after the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) wrote to him highlighting the previous government’s failure to distribute uniform material or uniform vouchers on time.

‘’It is sad to note that the previous government had failed to distribute the uniforms despite allocating around Rs 2.7 billion for this purpose,” CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said.

When inquired, former Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told Times Online that the vouchers to purchase uniform material had already been printed.

“They would be distributed when the third term ends in December,” he said.

However, Education Minister Alahapperuma who assumed office last week, citing lack of time said the uniform vouchers or material could not be distributed before the third academic term ends this Friday.

Accordingly, he said steps would be taken to distribute school uniforms when schools re-open for their first term next year.