Education budget 2009-10 up by Rs 7 bn. Mixed response
Allocation for education up by Rs 7 bn
Islamabad, June 15: The federal government has allocated an amount of Rs 31.6 billion for the education sector in the national budget for the year 2009-10 compared to Rs 24.4 billion earmarked in the previous year.
This was stated by Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar while unveiling the national budget in the National Assembly here on Saturday.
She told the Lower House of parliament that an increase of Rs 7 billion had been made in allocation for education this year as compared to the outgoing year. Besides, special allocations have also been made for the promotion of education in the country. Elaborating, she said Rs 10 billion has been earmarked for development schemes in education sector.
In addition, Rs 2 billion each have been earmarked for promotion of education for all, basic education and establishment of community centres in different parts of the country. This means additional allocation of Rs 6 billion for this sector.
Out of the total Rs 31.6 billion for education affairs and services, Rs 2,887 million have been earmarked for pre-primary and primary education affairs services, Rs 3,828 million for secondary education affairs and services, for tertiary education affairs and services Rs 23,372 million, education services non-definable Rs 39 million, subsidiary services to education Rs 32 million, administration Rs 845 million, etc.
Hina Rabbani told the House that for the promotion of higher education in the country, Rs 22.7 billion has been earmarked for the Higher Education Commission.
Besides all these allocations, the government announced Rs151.6 million for social welfare and special education. This brings the total allocations for education to Rs60.3 billion during the year 2009-10.
Compared to the past, the PPP government made reasonably high allocations for education to promote this sector and raise literacy rate.
The government also announced special literacy programmes to be initiated during the current fiscal year. These include introduction of Mobile Literacy Scheme in all the four provinces.
Representatives of different teachers associations, however, termed these allocations very small.
Commenting on the same, Sagheer Alam, President Punjab Teachers Association, termed the allocations for education disappointing.
The government was proposed by our community to increase the GDP-education ration to 4.6 per cent from 2.6 per cent in the current budget. However, this proposal has not been considered. Like defence, the government has to pay special attention to the promotion of education, he added.
Sagheer said recently the World Bank extended a special grant of US$350 for promotion of education in the Punjab and US$250 for Sindh. However, he resented that these foreign grants were not utilised and instead included in the budget.
Mixed response to education budget
Lahore: Educationists, teachers and students have given a mixed response to budgetary allocation for development of the education sector by the federal government for the year 2009-10.
They criticised the government and termed the allocation for education meagre. On the other hand, many vice-chancellors welcomed the increased budget for higher education. A sum of Rs 32 billions has been allocated for education with Rs 22.5 billions for higher education alone.
The VCs of the University of Engineering and Technology, the Punjab University and the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) welcomed the allocation for the Higher Education Commission terming it a positive step towards development of public sector universities. They, however, expressed concerns about any future possible cuts, saying the universities suffered a lot during last fiscal year owing to the cuts by the government.
UET Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (r) Muhammad Akram Khan said the increase was a positive sign and necessary for ensuring development plans of the universities. He said because of increase in budget, the universities would be able to send more teachers for higher studies abroad.
PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran said owing to depreciation of Pakistani currency, the prices of scientific equipments had increased, therefore, there was a need of increasing the budget for higher education. Welcoming the budget for HEC, he said: "It will be good provided no cut is imposed later like previous year."
UVAS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Nawaz said universities had made tremendous progress over the years only because of the HEC and funds were basic requirement for the progress. He said the increase in allocation would help increase education standard.
Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association President Nazim Hasnain termed the budget 2009-10 a disappointment, saying college teachers had been ignored as colleges did not fall in ambit of the HEC.
He said unitisation of funds was also a challenge claiming main part of the allocation was not used on productive side. He criticized the government for giving grants to private sector educational institutions, especially universities. Azhar, a student, said students who wanted to avail scholarships had to suffer a lot during the last fiscal year owing to funds shortage.
"It is hope this will not happen again," he said adding: "The government should release all the funds unlike the previous year."