Education budget for new fiscal year slashed by Rs15bn

The Sindh government has earmarked Rs312.245 billion for the education sector for the financial year 2023-24, decreasing it by Rs14.555 billion, as in the financial year 2022-23 the education sector had been given top priority with an allocation of Rs326.8 billion.

For the fiscal year 2021-22, the provincial government had allocated Rs277.5 billion to the education sector, increasing the education budget from Rs244.5 billion for the fiscal year 2020-21.

However, for the financial year 2023-24, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah claimed during his budget speech that his provincial government has raised the budget for education by seven per cent.

Shah said that under the IBA Sukkur, 58,000 primary and middle schoolteachers were recruited. He said that all teachers were provided training and assigned to schools according to the policy of competency and merit.

He added that around 2,582 positions for teachers have been created for 2023-24, while the newly recruited teachers would be upgraded from grade nine to grade 14.

He said that around 27 primary schools were upgraded to middle schools, and middle schools to secondary schools. Likewise, he added, 150 secondary schools would be upgraded to higher secondary schools.

He also said that approval would be given for the recruitment of 892 new employees at a cost of Rs846.709 million. Moreover, he added, Rs26.78 billion has been allocated for colleges across Sindh.

The chief executive said that for the provision of equipment in public colleges all over the province, Rs1 billion is required, against which Rs200 million has been allocated.

He said that Rs400 million has been allocated for furniture and fixtures, and Rs425 million for college buildings’ maintenance. He added that 1,500 lecturers would be recruited through the Sindh Public Service Commission.

He also said that 23 new colleges would be established in the new financial year. This will create 445 new positions, and equipment worth Rs403 million will be purchased, he added. He further said that Rs987.8 billion has been allocated to strengthen the Sindh Higher Education Commission.

Shah said that the grant for universities has been increased from Rs569 million to Rs987.8 million. The grant for all government universities has been increased from Rs17.4 billion to Rs25.2 billion for the next financial year, he added.

He said that the budget for the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) has been increased from Rs13.299 billion to Rs15.6 billion. The provincial government has introduced the Accelerated Digital Learning Programme (ADLP) under the SEF, and it will reduce the number of out-of-school children, he added.

He also said that 125 micro schools would be established across the province. These schools will provide education to 12,500 students, while the government has proposed a budget of Rs710 million for the ADLP, he added.

He further said that Rs2.53 billion has been allocated for the distribution of free books, while Rs1.553 billion would be used for the establishment of non-formal teaching centres for out-of-school children.

Jobs will be given to promote girls’ education, while around Rs800 million has been allocated for regular positions and Rs140 million for special children, he added.

The CM said that after successful negotiations with the European Union, financial cooperation has been obtained under the Development through Enhanced Education Programme (DEEP).

He said that the budget allocation for the programme’s implementation has been increased from Rs500 million to Rs800 million, while Rs300 million has been allocated for the restoration of dilapidated schools.

The annual budget of the Actions to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive & Responsive Education Project under the EU has been increased from Rs2.161 billion to Rs4.114 billion, he added.

According to him, an annual budget of Rs1.537 billion has been earmarked for the salaries of 5,125 teachers employed by the federal government, while Rs1.605 billion has been earmarked for the procurement of educational equipment from recommended institutions.

Shah said that the public school grant has been increased from Rs140 million to Rs400 million. Moreover, he added, Rs5 billion has been allocated for the maintenance of public schools and Rs425 million for the maintenance of public colleges. He said that a grant of Rs2 billion has been allocated for the Sindh Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority. A grant of Rs1.25 billion has been allocated for the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resources & Research Development Board, he added.

Presenting the fifth consecutive budget of Rs2.2 billion with a deficit of Rs37.7 billion, he maintained that the school education budget has been increased by 13.1 per cent to Rs267.6 billion.

The provincial government has been successful in attracting and securing Chinese grants of Rs7.659 billion for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 646 schools, he said.

Under the Flood Restoration Programme and DEEP, 112 damaged schools will be rehabilitated on resilient and environment-friendly fabricated structures in five districts at Rs3.011 billion, he added.

He also said that under the Sindh Education & Literacy Department portfolio, 46 new projects related to the repair and rehabilitation of existing schools damaged by rain have been included at an estimated cost of Rs4.416257 billion.

He added that 45 projects have been dedicated to the construction and reconstruction of existing schools affected by the 2022 floods at a cost of Rs4.492004 billion.

He further said that a new project in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), titled ‘Program for Flood Response Through Reconstruction of Education Facilities in Sindh’, has been proposed.

The estimated share of the Sindh government is Rs142.41 million, as proposed in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2023-24 for districts such as Mirpurkhas, Khairpur, Badin, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Ghotki and Dadu, while the share of Jica is estimated to be Rs1.424218 billion, he added.

Ongoing projects

Shah said that in the ongoing flagship projects of the ADP 2023-24, under the Rs11.777401 billion project, 50 state-of-the-art resilient schools are being constructed on prefabricated mild steel structures.

The project is being implemented under three separate schemes: the establishment of 25 English-medium schools (one in each district), the establishment of 15 comprehensive high schools, and the establishment of 10 comprehensive high schools (one in each district), he added.

He said that the expenditures on the project have been recorded at Rs7.931005 billion, and the allocation for the next financial year is Rs1.51 billion. The project will be completed in June 2025, he added.

The CM said that 34 schools, including 20 English-medium and 14 comprehensive, have been made functional, while 15 schools have also been provided furniture, IT equipment and science material.

He said that to carry out the remaining works on five more English-medium schools in Shikarpur, Umerkot, Tharparkar, Kamber and Jacobabad, cold-formed steel structures in 10 schools would be provided during the next financial year.

Shah said that the Aror University of Art, Architecture, Design & Heritage Sukkur is also being established, adding that the aim of the Rs1.595 billion project is to provide modern methods of teaching and research activities in art, architecture, design and heritage for developing human resources so that highly qualified manpower can contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.