PYCA demands rationalisation of educational funds for marginalised children

Islamabad: “The Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood and his entire team deserve huge congratulations for announcing the single largest increase in the federal education development fund (EDF) in over a decade. However, with merely 10 per cent of the development budget earmarked for school education, there is an immediate need to rationalize this division of funds.”

This statement was made by Areebah Shahid, Executive Director Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA) in light of the recently announced education budget.

The federal government allocated a total of Rs140 billion for federal education for the fiscal year 2021-22, compared to the previous year’s Rs118 billion. A 44 percent increase was also observed within the education development budget taking it to Rs48 billion during FY 2021-22 compared to the Rs. 34 billion allocated for education development initiatives during the last two fiscal years. While 10 percent of the development funds will be spent on school education, 90 percent have been earmarked for higher education.

“Although, after the 18thAmendment the primary responsibility of the federal government is higher education, however the schools in the federal area also come under its purview,” pointed out Hisham Khan, Program Coordinator at PYCA. “An estimated 30,000 children remain out-of-school in the federal capital, making the current allocation of funds for school education inadequate to bring about any significant improvements in terms of greater enrolment, retention and improved learning among the most marginalized children.”

The need to prioritize school education has become all the more pronounced in the aftermath of the COVID-19 emergency. Recent data emerging from Pakistan points at a potentially large exodus of children, especially girls from schools owing to the financial strain experienced at the household level.