Brown paper bags containing uniform orders awaiting collection. Photo: Jason Borg

Almost all students of St Monica School and the Institute of Tourism Studies will have their uniforms in time for the start of the scholastic year, the supplier has said.

Times of Malta reported yesterday some students would have to start their studies in their everyday clothes because BTI Uniforms had not provided all the items ordered. Managing director Kevin Vassallo said the last minute problems were a result of late orders and new designs. BTI estimated that no more than 30 students were missing items of their uniforms.

This calculation was based on the number of bags of ordered items still to be finalised and collected by parents or students.

Mr Vassallo pointed out that he had no control over when the uniforms will actually be collected.

The store in Kordin opens Monday to Friday.

St Monica School and ITS will start their scholastic years on September 30.

Mr Vassallo said all male ITS students had their uniforms and BTI had received all the female orders.

He added that it would place all the female uniform orders tomorrow and ship them by airfreight so they can be collected before the institute’s start date.

BTI supplies uniforms for St Monica, ITS and Stella Maris College – about 4,000 students in total.

This year St Monica and BTI had collaborated to create a new design and standardised sizes.

The process was finalised in July, Mr Vassallo said, and the company sent out order forms to parents that month.

Although all orders were supposed to be made by mid-August, Mr Vassallo continued, some parents were only bringing their forms to the shop now.

Furthermore, some parents who had purchased the old style of uniform were returning to the store to exchange them for the new design.