Due to an increase in the number of children enrolled in basic education schools this year, sales of school uniforms and stationery were strong, according to market sources.
A total of 5,609,676 students were enrolled at basic education schools, private schools, and monastic schools across the country in this 2022-2023 Academic Year, according to statistics released by the Department of Basic Education.
Since students are going back to school after two years, they need to buy everything, especially school uniforms which have become small for them.
“You can buy cheap and ready-made school uniforms in the market depending on the age and the body, but it is better to buy a piece of cloth and have it made a tailor-made one, which costs about K25,000 per piece,” said Daw Yin Nwe, the mother of a Grade-8 student in South Okkalapa Township.
Ko Tun Naing, an owner of a stationery shop, said: “Pens, pencils, notebooks, compacts, and backpacks are mainly sold; Although there were few sales last year due to the low enrolment in previous years, this year’s sale covers the last year’s investment.”
A set of school materials costs around K40,000/50,000, with a dozen of notebooks, is around K5,000/6,000, according to Daw Aye Than, the mother of a student in Dagon Myothit (North) Township.
“As it is the school opening season, the cost is high, however, it is gratifying that we don’t need to pay for the school enrollment,” she added.
Due to the high cost of paper and the cost of photocopying by a generator due to power outages, the price of an A- 4 paper copy has risen from K12 to K28. — TWA/GNLM
