Sri Lanka, July 1 -- The Cabinet has approved the implementation of a programme to provide a pair of footwear each to selected school students, as well as to lay and monastic students of Pirivenas and Seelamathas for the year 2027.

The decision was taken based on a proposal submitted by the Prime Minister in his capacity as the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.

Under the proposed programme, eligible students will be provided with a gift voucher valued at Rs. 3,000 each for the purchase of footwear. The initiative will follow a distribution model similar to the programme implemented in 2026.

In the previous year, the shoe assistance programme covered 836,571 school and Pirivena students and was implement...