Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2020-11-30

Increasing number of sports schools, development of infrastructure facilities in sports schools and increasing nutrition allowances and other allowances for the sports scholarship holders

- Measures have been taken in the year 1989 to inaugurate sports schools in all the districts, having one sports school in each district in the island. A programme has been planned collectively by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth & Sports in order to implement the said concept more productively. Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the following joint proposals made by the Minister of Education and the Minister of Youth & Sports.

* Development of infrastructure facilities in 26 existing sports schools.

* Development of the following schools as special sports schools.

i. Inauguration and development of a new bi - lingual National School by the name of ‘Cricket Sports School’ within the premises of Sooriyawewa International Cricket Stadium and enrol students to the grade six (6) from the year 2021.

ii. Development of Pelwatte Navodya School as a sports school for athletics/ Volleyball.

iii. Development of Mahinda Rajapaksha Vidyalaya, Pitipana for athletics.

iv. Development of Murunkan Maha Vidyalaya, Mannar for football / athletics.

* Construction of new school hostels in the sport schools where there are no hostels and development of the existing hostels.

* Increase of sports scholarships and other allowances to suit the current requirements.