The government has disbursed a Rs. 6,000 allowance for children of Aswesuma welfare beneficiaries to aid their education. The funds were released through the Treasury to Aswesuma bank accounts last Friday. This initiative aims to mitigate the adverse effects of the economic crisis on children’s education, as revealed by the Department of Census and Statistics in the “Household Survey on Impact of Economic Crisis – 2023.”
According to the report, 55% of school-going children have faced significant disruptions to their education. The negative impact has been particularly severe in rural and plantation areas. Among the affected children, 53.2% have either reduced or entirely halted the purchase of school supplies, while 26.1% have resorted to reusing previously used materials.
To address these challenges, the government plans to provide financial assistance to purchase school supplies for the 2025 academic year. This includes extending the Rs. 6,000 allowance to eligible non-Aswesuma beneficiaries as well, ensuring adequate support for all school-aged children in need.
The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Vocational Training, is preparing to allocate the required funds for this program in 2025. A streamlined process will be implemented to ensure the effective distribution of these resources to schoolchildren, safeguarding their right to education amidst economic hardships.
