LAHORE, June 17: A major chunk of the total allocation for the annual education development programme has been earmarked for the Chief Minister's Education Sector Reform Programme for schools.
Of the Rs8.230 billion budget, the government has allocated Rs5.230 billion under the CM's initiative for schools. Besides, Rs410 million will be spent on the Chief Minister's Accelerated Programme for Social Development and Rs1.288 billion, including Rs770.851 million foreign aid, on the ongoing and fresh schemes.
The allocation for the education sector makes 19 per cent of the total development outlay for the next financial year. It is 38 per cent higher than the current year's budget of Rs5.976 billion for education.
According to breakdown, the government has earmarked Rs6.928 billion for school education, Rs768.513 million for higher education, Rs133 million for literacy programme and Rs400 million for special education.
The allocations for school, higher and special education, and literacy and non-formal education are 22 per cent, 218 per cent, 1,774 per cent and 275 per cent higher than current year's allocations.
SCHOOL EDUCATION: The amount allocated under the CM's ESR programme will be spent on the provision of free textbooks to primary school students, stipends to girl students from classes VI to VIII in 13 remote districts, training of teachers, education awareness campaign, and provision of missing facilities.
The school education development programme also includes three foreign-funded projects - the ADB-assisted Girls Primary Education Project (GPEP), Second Science Education Project, and the World Food Programme.
The government has also provided Rs410.5 million to the local governments to establish 25 primary schools, nine elementary schools, 16 high schools and two higher secondary schools for girls. For boys, the government plans to set up 25 primary schools, three elementary schools, five high schools and a higher secondary school.
It also plans to upgrade 54 girl and 39 boy primary schools to elementary level, 87 girl and 29 boy elementary schools to high level, and 38 girl and 26 boy high schools to higher secondary schools.
A sum of Rs37 million has been allocated for internal merit scholarships of middle schools, professional colleges and minority students.For the promotion of children education and provision of entertainment facilities, the government has allocated Rs33 million for the establishment of children complexes in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Sargodha.
HIGHER EDUCATION: The government has allocated Rs508.216 million, including Rs457.553 million, under the Chief Minister's Accelerated Programme for Social Development for higher education.
It has also provided Rs105 million for the establishment of universities in Sargodha, Faisalabad, Gujrat, and Rachna College of Engineering and Technology, Gujranwala. The Lahore College for Women University's postgraduation block will be completed at a cost of Rs188.656 million.
The development schemes in the College of Education, Dera Ghazi Khan; Fatima Jinnah Degree College for Women, Chuna Mandi; Girls Degree College, Muridke; and preservation of the Quaid-i-Azam library will be completed during the next financial year at a cost of Rs36 million, Rs10 million, Rs19 million and Rs10 million, respectively.
The government also plans to establish a School of Physical Sciences at the Punjab University with an expenditure of Rs184 million. The institute will carry out research in physics, chemistry and allied sciences.
Construction of a postgraduate block at the Queen Mary College will also be started during next fiscal year. An allocation of Rs457.553 million under the Chief Minister's Accelerated Programme for Social Development will be provided to the local governments for improving higher education.
It proposes the establishment of 27 girl and 13 boy degree colleges, upgrade of nine intermediate colleges to degree colleges, construction of postgraduate blocks in nine colleges and buildings of four intermediate colleges and hostel, and provision of missing facilities at seven colleges.
SPECIAL EDUCATION: The government has allocated Rs400 million for the education of the disabled. As the government had created a separate provincial special education department, the government has increased its budget allocations from Rs21.339 million to Rs400 million (1,774 per cent higher).
On the development front, the government will establish 19 centres for special education at tehsils. It will cost Rs167 million. Besides, the government will start work on the establishment of Degree College for Special Education in Lahore, strengthening of audiological clinics in higher secondary schools for hearing impaired in the Punjab, and provision of sports facilities to the institutions of special education.
LITERACY PROGRAMME: In order to improve literacy and non-formal basic education, the government has allocated Rs133 million for ongoing and new development schemes against the current year's allocations of Rs36 million.
To achieve maximum literacy level in Mandi Bahauddin, Khushab, Khanewal and Dera Ghazi Khan under a new project "Model Districts for Literacy Campaign" is part of the government's vision. Around 4,216 adult literacy centres will also be established (124 centres in each district) at a cost of Rs130 million.
