School food program to benefit 1.5 m students this year

Wednesday, 22 January 2025 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved expanding the school food program, aiming to support the nutritional needs of up to 1.5 million students across the country this year.

At present, the school food program operates in 8,956 schools across 100 education zones, covering an estimated 1.4 million students. This includes children in grades 1 to 5 in all public schools, students in schools with fewer than 100 pupils, those enrolled in special education units or schools and lay students in selected Piriven institutions.

“By expanding the program and ensuring appropriate budgetary allocations, the Government intends to reach an additional 100,000 students, further broadening its impact,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.

He said the Government intends to ensure the program is implemented in a more structured and efficient manner during the year.

“We want to extend the maximum amount of support to the people who are in dire need of support,” Dr. Jayatissa added.

The proposal to this effect presented by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya in her capacity as Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Minister, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.