For yet another year parents of young children had to pay more than they should have for uniforms and books just because an investigation that was launched last May was not concluded in time.

The government promised a new way of doing things, but some things never change. The investigation should have been finished before the start of the current scholastic year, in time for regulations to be enforced so as to cut down on abuse.

And yet, here we are, still waiting for the conclusion of the inquiry. It is a real pity that the government has, once again, failed to stick to its word. It is even more pitiful that parents have had to pay so much money for the items needed by their children just because the government failed to keep the deadline it had imposed on itself.

One sincerely hopes that the result of this investigation will be made public in the short term. But, as things stand, I am seriously doubtful whether the inquiry will be finished in time for the next scholastic year. With both my children in secondary schools, I do not think that I will be able to benefit from any new regulations.

M. Micallef

Mosta