CM Sindh Announces Education Budget for 2020-2021
While presenting the budget for Sindh for 2020-2021, CM Shah stated that that the budget of education sector had been increased to Rs 244.5 billion.
While presenting the budget for Sindh for the fiscal year 2020 to 2021, CM Murad Ali Shah stated that that the budget of education sector had been increased to Rs 244.5 billion in comparison to Rs 212.4 billion in 2019-20. CM Shah added, “despite resource constraints we have allocated funds which is 25.2pc of our current revenue budget.”
When it came to discussing why the budget for education was important, Shah said, “we aim at improving access to equitable, inclusive and quality education for all to realise their fullest potential and contribute to the development of society and economy, thus creating a sense of nationhood, inculcating values of tolerance, social justice and democracy in students.”
Details announced by CM Sindh for Education Budget 2020-2021
In 2016, the government of Sindh divided the department of education into two departments: the school education and literacy department (SELD) and the college education department (CED). Under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the year 2020 to 2021, the education sector received a total of Rs 21.1 billion for development of 397 ongoing and 11 new, but unapproved schemes.
Development of Schools
The SELD will be receiving Rs 13.2 billion for 265 ongoing schemes and four new schemes. These schemes are targeted towards improving existing government schools from primary to secondary levels, rehabilitating and better the schools, providing furniture, basic and missing facilities, construction and reconstruction of existing dangerous school buildings.
For the fiscal year 2020 to 2021, a total of Rs 1 billion has been allocated as a grant to Education Management Organization (EMO) for handing over management of numerous schools to EMOs.
CM Sindh stated, “moreover, we have allocated Rs 6.6 billion for purchase of furniture and fixture, Rs 6.1 billion for new activities with the help of international donor agencies, Rs 2.3 billion for free textbooks, Rs 1.8 billion for school management committee to meet the requirements of schools, Rs 5 billion for repair and maintenance of school buildings, Rs 480 million for an Emergent Need Fund for meeting new initiatives under COVID-19 and Rs 663.4 million for educational assets of proscribed organisations of Sindh taken over by the government of Sindh.”
The goal for the upcoming year is to improve 10 English medium and nine comprehensive high schools in nine districts by upgrading them with all facilities of science/IT labs, libraries, and such. Furthermore, the government of Sindh plans to establish 2,000 new early childhood care and education classrooms, training 2,500 early childhood education teachers. They also wish to print Rs 4.93 million sets of textbooks for all schools at taluka and district levels.
“In the next financial year 2020-21 we have set a number of targets under which we will provide requisite infrastructure, solar system, IT/science labs and auditoriums in 35 existing schools,” CM Murad Ali Shah added.
Development of Colleges
The CED has been allocated Rs 3.71 billion in ADP 2020-21 for 67 ongoing and two new schemes.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are suffering in terms of their education. Hence, the government of Sindh has decided to allocate Rs 451 million to enhance the colleges technology wise in 2020 to 2021. They will be establishing computer labs, centralised teaching and utilising web services to improve distance learning.
In addition to this, Rs 30 million is kept as grant-in-aid for the Government College for Information Technology Guru Nagar, Hyderabad.
Development of Universities and Boards
For the development of universities and the boards, Rs 3.3 billion has been allocated. This is for providing funds for the public sector universities for strengthening their educational infrastructure and for constructing new educational facilities.
Under the education budget, Rs 5 billion is proposed for grant to universities, Rs 2 billion to educational boards and Rs 1.2 billion for scholarship to position holders/A1 graders in Sindh.
Furthermore, Rs 300 million has been allocated as Endowment Fund for NED University of Engineering and Technology Karachi.
Other than that, Rs 392 million has been allocated for various cadet colleges while Rs 259 million is for various public schools. An additional Rs 50 million is proposed for performance incentive under ‘Programme for Results’.
Do you think that education budget announced by Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah for the year 2020 to 2021 is feasible? Let us know in the comments.
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