Accordingly, the allowance will be distributed through the Welfare Benefits Board to schoolchildren from families eligible under the Aswesuma Welfare Programme, enabling them to purchase school stationery.
In addition, the Cabinet has decided to grant a similar allowance of Rs. 6,000 per child to students studying in schools with fewer than 300 students islandwide who are not covered by the Aswesuma Programme but are entitled to the benefit.
The allowance will also be extended to lay and monastic students studying in Pirivenas and Seelamatha monasteries, as well as to students enrolled in schools at Child Development Centres.
Arrangements have already been made to disburse the relevant allowances to these categories through the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education during 2025.
The approval was granted for a proposal submitted by the Prime Minister, in her capacity as Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, to continue implementing the programme in 2026.
