Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam today said that the government decided to provide students with vouchers instead of school uniform material in order to prevent students from receiving poor quality material and middlemen from pocketing commissions. 

He stated that government will be able to save around Rs 500 million through this process and that it will be used to improve education in the country. 

Addressing the Cabinet press briefing in Colombo, the minister said that the government spent Rs 2.3 billion to provide school uniforms for students last year and that under the new method the estimated cost is far less. 

Kariyawasam said that students are being provided substandard material because there is no thorough inspection and that sometimes Grade 01 student are being provided excessive material while students of higher classes receive insufficient material for uniforms. 

Under the new system, he said parents will be able to choose a shop of their liking and purchase either the material or readymade uniforms. 

He said that student monks will be provided vouchers of Rs 1,700 each while Grade 1 student will be given vouchers of Rs 400 each. Other vouchers are for Rs 1000,  800, 750, 720.

He stated that if textile prices increase steps will be taken to control the price and that the vouchers that are not accepted will be provided to students in rural areas so that they can receive uniforms twice a year.