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School children desperate, but won’t get books and uniforms until April
View(s):By Chrishanthi Christopher
This comes with the Education Ministry’s decision to shift the third term of the academic year of 2022 to 2023. Accordingly, the first term of 2023 will technically begin in April, the Government has announced.
Not only is the academic term being shifted, but also the handouts such as uniforms, textbooks, and shoes have been suspended.
The ministry said school uniforms and free textbooks will be distributed in April, when the first academic term for 2023 begins.
The Government delayed the resumption of schools, but the children have outgrown their uniforms and even their pair of shoes. And parents have to spend much more money for school essentials.
This has worsened the burdens of families in poverty who can’t have even one meal.
Parents in for a shock: The price of school bags (left) have doubled, while all school stationery items have soared in price. Pix by Akila Jayawardena
According to a 2022 survey by the University of Peradeniya, more than 9 million people, (over 40%) of the population have slipped below the official poverty line declared by the World Bank in 2022, following the economic bankruptcy.
The most affected are the children living in plantations and provinces where many depend on free books, shoes, and uniforms.
With the depreciation of the rupee in early 2021, many lower middle class families in the urban areas are also feeling the financial strains.
Several parents complained that their children have worn out shoes and uniforms that do not fit.
Parents who shop around to buy shoes, school bags and accessories for the 2023 academic year are in for a shock.
The prices of school bags, and shoes, have doubled. 
Bags cost between Rs 3,500 and Rs.5,000, and shoes are priced between Rs.4,000 and Rs.5,000 a pair.
In addition, the prices of school stationery have skyrocketed.
An 80-page exercise book, which earlier was sold at Rs. 40, now sells for four times more at Rs. 160.
A 200-page CR book priced at Rs. 200 earlier, now costs Rs 450 to Rs 550.
Even the price of pencils, pens, pastel colour pencils, and even erasers have risen sharply. Graph paper used for geometry, which was once sold for one rupee, is Rs. 25 each.
Ceylon Teachers Union Nuwara Eliya District secretary V. Indraselvan said that families who have two or more school-going children are the most affected.
Children who are unable to afford exercise books are using one exercise book for several subjects. “Some even use scrap paper bound together as exercise books.’’
Moreover, children wearing worn out and sometimes torn shoes are a common sight. Others wear rubber flip flops and some even walk into classrooms barefooted, he said.
In the poverty-stricken areas of Jaffna District there are many children who depend on stationery donated by charities.
CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that several representations have been made to the Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, explaining the hardships of families.
Although the minister had promised to submit a cabinet paper with a request to remove cess on school stationery, he had yet to act on it.
CTU Jaffna district secretary Theeban Arokiyanathan said that many children have not received the mid-day meal.
The Government had earlier assured that mid-day meals will be provided to an additional one million children. This would have covered up to 51% of school children.
But, only 1.08 million children in 7,926 schools receive meals. Education authorities have failed to include new recipients.
Education Ministry secretary M.N. Ranasinghe said that based on a policy decision, nine provincial education departments have been asked to include all children who need meals. Recently, a consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes of rice donated by China was distributed to homes that are most in need.
Last week, China also donated 3 million metres of school uniform material, 70% of the requirement.
Mr. Ranasinghe said this will be distributed in April.
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