Axe falls on education spending

LAHORE - A sum of Rs 23.125 billion has been allocated for education sector in the Punjab budget 2009-10.
If Rs 300 million allocated for Daanish school programme in the government sector are included, then the amount is Rs 26. 125 billion. The overall allocation for education indicated a decrease of almost Rs 4 billion as compared to last year which was Rs 30 billion in financial year 2008-09. A number of new programmes initiated last year could not find go ahead while some of them have been shelved.
This shows the lack of political will or financial constraints that the education sector which once remained the priority No 1 has gone in the background. Even the previous Punjab government showed its utmost concern over the improvement of literacy and education and initiated ambitious programme including the Parha Likha Punjab for enhancement of enrolment of children in primary school but in the financial budget 2009-10 there is no mention of any project to enhance enrolment and to bring the out-of-school children to schools and prevent the drop out.
Instead of announcing new development schemes, the emphasis is laid on the completion of ongoing schemes. Of the total budgetary outlay, 61 percent will be spent on completion of ongoing schemes. The government, however, says the targets set under five education related Millennium Development Goals (MDG5) serve as the guiding beacons in the budget 2009-10 and improving quality and access to schools remains a primary focus area. The government claimed that land for the Daanish schools has been procured for 44 schools initially in the 24 districts where hostel, food, uniform and books will be provided to students.
In addition, Rs 3.24 million have been allocated for computer and technical education in schools under a comprehensive programme through a contract to a private company. Of the allocation, Rs 2.50 billion will be spent on the upgradation of existing primary schools to the middle school level and 200 middle schools to high schools level which is recurring practice in every financial year. A meager amount of Rs 700 million has been allocated for the opening of new schools. A sum of Rs 2.12 billion, out of the amount of Rs 6 billion for college education, will be spent on new schemes and the remaining over Rs 4 billion on the ongoing ones.
According to the White Paper issued by the government along with the budget documents, the missing facilities in schools and colleges will be provided under the Punjab Education Sector Reform Programme (PRESP) launched in 2003 and continuing till now and is part of the overall education budget. On completion of PESRP-I, World Bank and Government of the Punjab have agreed to a second phase of education sector reforms with a total financing of $ 350 million. The programme is primarily geared to address the quality, access and governance issues. Main interventions will include establishment/upgradation of primary, middle and high schools (Rs 3,500 million), provision of missing facilities (Rs 4,000 million) and accelerated programme for school education (Rs 700 million). In addition, provisions have been made to strengthen the examination systems, teachers recruitment/training, strengthening district level management and improving governance through empowered schools councils (Rs 438 million).
The IT education programme though started in previous year with some initial spade work, covering 4,286 high/higher secondary schools across Punjab would be completed in 2009-10 with an allocation of Rs 2929 million. This would be the significant step for bridging the information and technology divide between public sector and high-end private sector education.
An initiative costing Rs 578 million would provide life skills and employability to the high school students under the provision of equipment for vocational education project. An amount of Rs 800 million has been allocated to complete the ongoing programme for provision of missing facilities in colleges including labs, auditoriums, sports facilities, hostels and external development.
Rs 400 million have been provided to improve teaching skills of the college teachers.
In the special educations sector, the provincial government has initiated number of programmes for the deaf and dumb and mentally retarded children. An allocation for 2009-10 is Rs 1,000 million and major initiatives include provision of educational opportunities and facilities to schoolgoing disabled children in 15 district centers for special education; establishment of international standard rehabilitation centre for the disabled, provision of healthy atmosphere to special children in the institutions/centres of special education by constructing new, and improving existing, buildings with special facilities; and skill development and rehabilitation of physically challenged children.
Incentives for enrolment (nutrition, stipends, free uniform, free boarding and lodging facilities, free text and braille books, free pick and drop facility and merit scholarships have been added. Of the total outlay, a sum of Rs 800 has been earmarked in the financial year 2009-10 for literacy and non-formal basic education. This is 17.17 percent larger than the last financial years revised allocation.
The main initiatives include literacy and livelihood programme for poverty alleviation in four model districts of Punjab, demand based training for new iterates to impart education, training and skills that can lead to economic amelioration, enhance consumable income and help alleviate poverty, establishment of 300 adult literacy centres and 200 NFBE schools in jails, factories and brick kilns under a five-year programme for imparting education and skill development for their rehabilitation and providing honourable economic opportunities to prisoners in 29 jails of the province, more than 5000 brick kiln workers and other illiterates working in factories.