June 17, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1429

LAHORE, June 16: The Punjab government allocated Rs110 billion for education for 2008-09, up by 5.87 per cent from the outgoing year. The education sector allocation consists of Rs30.129 billion provincial development budget (27.39 per cent), Rs25.272 billion provincial current budget, while 35 districts have been allocated Rs54.599 billion.

During the current financial year, the government allocated Rs21.480 billion under the head of provincial development budget, Rs23.745 billion provincial current budget and the districts were given Rs58.675 billion.

The allocations show t the provincial development and current budget allocations have been raised by 40.265 per cent and 6.43 per cent and the allocation for districts has gone down by 7.465 per cent.

According to the break-up of provincial development budget, Rs16.454 billion are allocated for school education, Rs9.1 billion for higher education, Rs1.825 billion for special education, Rs1.25 billion for literacy and non-formal basic education, and Rs1.5 billion for sports.

The next financial year allocations for school education, special education, literacy and non-formal basic education, and sports are 93.9 per cent, 91.2 per cent, 4.2 per cent and 66.3 per cent higher than current year's allocations.

The allocation for higher education has gone down by 8.42 per cent. The budget document says the Rs9.1 billion allocation for higher education does not include support to universities. The budget documents show the allocation for general universities and degree awarding institutions is Rs7.010 billion.

The Punjab government keeps Rs5 billion in the 2008-09 Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the World Bank-assisted Punjab Education Sector Reforms Programme (PESRP). This allocation carries Rs2.5 billion each for school and college education.

The PESRP would also fund a new initiative for conversion of existing 50 per cent colleges into model colleges. Similarly, two colleges in each district will also be identified for complete revamping and upgradation.

The government has allocated Rs200 million to bear the educational expenditure of those students, who get admission to public professional educational institutions on merit but cannot pay fees.

The government plans to set up 144 model schools to be equipped with modern facilities at a total cost of Rs3.63 billion. Up to 72 schools will also be provided with dormitories to accommodate 11,000 orphan and destitute children. Two model orphanages, one each for boys and girls in each district, will have a boarding facility of 150 to 200 students and a total capacity of 350 students each.

The government also plans a Provincial Education Reforms Commission (PERC) with a cost of Rs10 million.

The government has allocated Rs2 billion for 560 girls’ middle schools to be upgraded as high schools. Similarly, some 542 boys’ schools will be upgraded with an estimated budget of Rs1.91 billion.Up to Rs500 millions have been allocated for the showing outstanding performance. The government will also launch air-conditioned buses for schoolchildren’s pick-and-drop facility in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan.

IT EDUCATION: The government decided to introduce IT education at secondary and higher secondary schools and modern computer labs will be established in 4,574 secondary and higher secondary schools costing Rs4.929 million.