The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the Answer to the Question raised by the Hon. K. Kader Masthan on 24 November 2025 under Standing Order 27(2) is as follows:

¶ 02 1. Yes.

¶ 03 Several programmes have already been introduced to meet basic needs of schoolchildren: textbooks, uniforms, Suraksha insurance; sanitary pad vouchers for Grades 6–13; midday meals for all primary schools and schools with under 100 students; vouchers for all students in schools with under 250 students; for students who passed Grade 5 Scholarship but are not in Aswesuma; and for estate schools with under 500 students.

¶ 04 Provision of Rs. 57.2 billion has been allocated in 2025; data are being improved to expand beneficiary coverage.

¶ 05 The 2025 GCE (O/L) Exam is scheduled from 17–26 February, coinciding with Ramadan. Discussions were held with Eastern Province education officials and with ACJU representatives and Examinations Department officials, and it was agreed the exam can be conducted without issue. The Exam Calendar aims to return to the regular schedule: Grade 5 Scholarship and GCE (A/L) in early August and GCE (O/L) in December. Grade 11 third term ended on 19 December 2025, giving almost two months’ study leave before the exam. Further postponement would disrupt the 2026 schedule. The 2025 A/L concluded on 20 January 2026 despite “Ditwah” disruptions. Therefore, to restore normal scheduling from 2026 onward and avoid clashes with major religious observances, the O/L exam will be held in February 2026 as scheduled.