January 12, Colombo (LNW): Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha announced that school uniforms for students will be distributed before the commencement of the new school year on February 19, 2024. This assurance comes as a result of a significant grant from the Chinese government, covering 80% of the total fabric requirement for school uniforms.
Initially, the Chinese government had agreed to provide a 50% grant, which was later increased to 70% through the direct intervention of Minister Premajayantha. The grant has now been elevated to 80%, with the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Xi Shang Hung, officially handing over the first batch of school uniform clothes to the Minister on January 11 at the Ministry of Education.
The Minister disclosed that the first batch, comprising 5.8 million meters of uniform cloth, has already arrived in Sri Lanka, and the second batch is expected by February 4. To ensure uniform quality for all students, the government will purchase the remaining 20% of the school uniform fabric directly from the Chinese manufacturer.
Distribution efforts for the received cloth have commenced, starting from January 4, and will cover 313 education offices. The Minister assured that the government will facilitate the importation process through various legalized corporations.
Expressing gratitude to the Chinese government, Minister Premajayantha highlighted the significant economic relief provided by the grants, saving approximately five billion rupees during challenging economic times in the country.
In addition to the school uniform support, Minister Premajayantha announced that the Chinese government will extend technical and financial assistance for the digitization of 3,000 schools, covering all institutions with Advanced Level subject streams.
