The full uniforms of all State colleges will be in stock by the end of next week, worried parents have been assured by the supplier.

Some items from the summer uniforms of four of the 10 colleges are still not available, as supplier Yorkie Clothing scrambles to get them ready before the start of the scholastic year on September 22.

Missing items include skirts for girls, trousers and bermudas for boys, as well as blazers.

“We are guaranteeing that all students will have their full uniform by the end of next week,” said Alex Calleja, a director at Yorkie, which won the tender to sell the uniforms following a public call.

State schools fall under 10 different colleges and each has its own uniform with an array of colours.

Mr Calleja said the company had the full uniform for six of the colleges. The items still out of stock related to the colleges of Santa Margherita, San Injazju, San Nikola and Santa Tereża.

He was contacted after irate parents spoke to Times of Malta complaining that the “out-of-stock saga had spilled over from medicines to school uniforms”.

They said they had been told that some items were not in stock and would not be available before the new scholastic year gets under way in 10 days’ time.

The supplier, they complained, did not have enough supply to meet demand and was asking parents to call every week to check whether items were available.

The parents who spoke to Times of Malta said that to add insult to injury, the supplier was requesting full settlement to order blazers without having one to try on for size.

“We went to Yorkie’s a couple of days ago but did not get the blazer we needed as they are only getting it in November. I spoke to a few other parents who told me they were there to buy skirts and trousers and these were also out of stock.

“Parents are wasting a lot of time away from work and in traffic to try to buy uniforms that are not available. No one informs them of this unavailability. In this day and age one would expect to have this information online and not try to get it on the phone on a number that is never answered,” one parent said.

Another said they would have to send their children in everyday clothes if the missing items were not available in time.

But Mr Calleja defended his company’s performance, saying it was doing its best.

He said the problem was due to shortages from its own suppliers but he was “guaranteeing” availability by the end of next week.

Asked what had happened and why the company had been caught unprepared, Mr Calleja replied: “The company could not prepare as we were negotiating our contracts and as soon as we were informed of the result [of the public call] we started working on the tender and have not stopped.

“You must also keep in mind that our suppliers did not have any idea of the colours [we needed].” He also clarified that blazers are usually not supplied before October or November and that this has been the practice for the past 40 years.

The Education Ministry said it was holding meetings with the supplier, with one scheduled for Monday.

It added that Yorkie would be sending a representative to each college to sell uniforms.

Moreover, the Yorkie outlet in San Ġwann will open next Saturday between 9am and 1pm and 2pm and 5pm and again on the Sunday, a public holiday, from 9am to 1pm.

In May, the government announced that uniforms would remain unchanged after more than two thirds of parents who answered a questionnaire said they wanted to retain the current outfits.

Two months later, the Education Ministry announced that following negotiations with the supplier, the prices had been reduced and parents were expected to save between €11 and €25.

Missing...

• Trousers and skirts for St Nicholas College, St Theresa College and St Ignatius College.

• Tracksuits for the kindergarten pupils at St Nicholas, St Theresa, St Ignatius and St Margaret colleges, who will start school during the first week of October.

• All other items for the winter uniform will be available after September 20.