A free pair of footwear from the government for school students and nuns.

Cabinet approval has been received for a special program to provide a free pair of shoes each to school students selected for the upcoming year 2027, lay and ordained students receiving Pirivena education, and Sil Mathas (devotees observing precepts). This step has been taken according to a proposal submitted by the Prime Minister, who is also the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education.

The government plans to fully complete this welfare program before the end of the third school term in 2026.

Previously, for the year 2026, a similar shoe distribution project implemented through two methods had covered 836,571 school and Pirivena students across the island. Following a thorough review of the progress and success of that year's program, Cabinet agreement has now been received to implement the new year's program more systematically.

Accordingly, these shoe distribution activities are to be carried out through two different methods at the provincial level. Under the first method, for students in the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern, and North Western provinces, it has been decided to directly purchase shoes from local shoe manufacturers, and these manufacturers will directly deliver the relevant shoes to the schools. Additionally, a different method will be followed for the Central, Northern, North Central, and Uva provinces, where arrangements have been made to provide gift vouchers worth Rs. 3,000 each to selected school students, lay and ordained Pirivena students, and Sil Mathas in those provinces, enabling them to purchase the shoes they need from the market.