KARACHI, June 10: A 15 per cent increase in the Sindh education budget has been proposed for the next financial year with an allocation of Rs26.8 billion as compared to the current financial year’s budget of Rs22.8 billion, according to budget documents presented in the Sindh Assembly on Friday.

Budget documents show that a development budget of Rs7.733 billion for the education sector of Sindh has been proposed for 2011-12, indicating an increase of Rs700 million from the current year’s original annual development plan of Rs7.03 billion that had to be cut to Rs4.455 billion in the wake of devastating floods.

Sindh Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who presented the budget, told the house that since the education sector remained a priority, a total of Rs7.733 billion, which comes to 5.1 per cent of the overall development budget, had been allocated to this sector.

However, it is pertinent to mention that the education sector’s budget is less than what has been allocated for the agriculture, livestock, water and drainage (irrigation), transport and communications, industries sectors.

According to Sindh Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, the main focus of the education sector’s annual development programme (ADP 2011-12) is on the completion of ongoing schemes rather than initiating new ones without finishing the ongoing projects first. He said 80 per cent of the ADP funds had been allocated for completion of ongoing development projects so that the stakeholders would benefit at the earliest.

The minister said that an interesting feature of the budget documents was the proposal for setting up of schools for children of jail employees at an estimated cost of Rs200 million which was included in the ADP on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari.

About the funds for the Higher Education Commission, the finance minister told the house that the HEC-related expenditures would be fixed later when a decision concerning its devolution was taken.

Of Rs7.733 billion proposed in the ADP 2011-12, Rs582.997 million has been allocated to elementary education, Rs81.8 million to teachers’ education, Rs1,118.323m to Sindh Education Foundation, Rs1,495m to secondary education and Rs3,715m to college education. The remaining Rs738.709 million has been proposed for miscellaneous projects, including construction of education complex in Karachi and monitoring and inspection of private schools across the province.

Secondary education

Ongoing schemes: Establishment of six public schools at Umerkot, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Sanghar, Ghotki and Matiari (Rs154.627m), upgrade of middle schools to high schools (Rs70m), upgrade of secondary schools to higher secondary schools (Rs95m), addition of classrooms/ construction and repair of buildings of secondary/ higher secondary schools (Rs221m), upgrade of middle schools to high schools and high schools to higher secondary schools (Rs200m), reconstruction of 45 existing high/ secondary schools (Rs150m), rehabilitation of existing high/ higher secondary schools (Rs175m), setting up of 53 single-section high schools (Rs200m), and improvement of government boys and girls secondary schools in PECHS Block 6 of Karachi (Rs40m).

New schemes: Establishment of public schools in Kamber and Shahdadkot (Rs20m) and restoration of historical building of Noor Mohammad High School in Hyderabad (Rs10m).

College education

Ongoing schemes: Introduction of postgraduate classes and construction of an auditorium hall at Sir Syed Girls College in Nazimabad (Rs46m), introduction of postgraduate courses in 11 existing degree colleges of Karachi and one each at the degree colleges of Ghotki, Benazirabad, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Matiari, Tharparkar, Sanghar, Kamber, Naushero Feroz and Sukkur (Rs88m), setting up of two cadet colleges, one each in Gadap Town of Karachi and in Mithi of district Tharparkar (Rs135m), establishment of cadet college for girls in Benazirabad (Rs120m), setting up of 23 boys and girls degree colleges (Rs130m), setting up of law college in Hala New (Rs20m), setting up of Kazi Allah Bux government degree college in Kazi Arif, district Dadu (Rs52m), setting up Sindh college of arts and design in Sukkur (Rs5m), establishment of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Institute of Management Sciences in Dadu (Rs200m), construction and improvement of hostel, dining hall of cadet college Petaro and the cadet colleges in Larkana and Sanghar (Rs60m), rehabilitation of 86 degree colleges (Rs125m), construction of girls hostel at IBA Sukkur (Rs50m), setting up of a cadet college in Kaker of district Dadu (Rs100m), construction of Pir Illahi Bux law college building in Sukkur (Rs36m), setting up government boys/ girls degree college in Bin Qasim Town (Rs70m), immediate needs for establishing Quaid-i-Awam University/ College of engineering science and technology in Larkana (Rs201m), repairs and construction of additional classrooms in degree colleges, Malir Cantonment and Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town (Rs34m). restoration work of historical building of D.J. Science College, Karachi (Rs30m), setting up of Nusrat Bhutto govt boys degree college in Lyari Town (Rs30m), provision of new infrastructure and essential facilities for the establishment of Mehran University College of engineering and technology in Khanpur Mirs (Rs200m), construction of a modern library at Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering Sciences and Technology in Benazirabad (Rs70m), construction of additional classrooms, computer lab and auditorium at government degree college, adjacent to Karachi University’s Shaikh Zayed Islamic Centre (Rs10m), setting up of Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering Science & Technology and a constituent college in Larkana (Rs150m).

New schemes: Setting up of 43 degree colleges for boys and girls (Rs600m), cadet college in Khairpur (Rs100m), construction of building of intermediate boys college at Qazi Ahmed in district Larkana (Rs30m), cadet college at Kandhkot (Rs50m), setting up Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto engineering college in Memon Goth, Gadap Town (Rs30m), Shaheed Benazir Bhutto science and technology institute at Bhit Shah, reconstruction of women degree college in Korangi-6 (Rs40m), remaining work of cadet college in Pano Akil (Rs20m), purchase of land for university campus in Dadu and Larkana (Rs40m), construction of women hostels for teaching staff in girls colleges (Rs40m), information and computing technology at cadet college in Larkana (Rs20m) and setting up computer labs in existing colleges – one each for boys and girls in every district of the province – (Rs40m).

Miscellaneous

Under the head of the ADP’s miscellaneous expenditures, Rs20m has been kept for the construction of education complex in Karachi. An equal amount has been earmarked for monitoring and inspection of private schools across the province.

Moreover, Rs15m has been allocated for the construction of an auditorium for boys scouts in Karachi, Rs117m for the renovation of IBA community college in Khairpur, Rs20m for the provision of computer labs in schools, Rs48m for construction of convention centre and setting up the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Chair at Sindh University, Jamshoro, Rs20m for extension and rehabilitation of Pir Illahi Bux literacy tower in Sukkur and Rs35m for construction of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto hostel block, security arrangements and beautification and improvement of Quaid-i-Awam University, Benazirabad. Teachers’ education

The ADP 2011-12 covers two ongoing schemes for teachers’ training and education by allocating Rs30 million for the construction of VIP suites for facility of PITE, Nawabshah and Rs10 million for Associate Degree in Education.

The only new scheme for teachers’ education pertained to a masters course for which Rs41 million has been earmarked.

Elementary education, SEF

While no new scheme has been planned for elementary education and Sindh Education Foundation, all the funds allocated for both the sectors will be spent on completion of ongoing schemes.

The elementary education projects and their allocations are assistance to girls primary education phase-III (Rs27.99m), enhancing girls’ enrolment through reopening of 400 closed schools through rural support programme (Rs50m), upgrade of 475 primary schools to middle schools (Rs80m), addition of classrooms and construction of two-room buildings in existing primary schools (Rs100m), upgrade of 460 primary schools to middle schools (Rs125m), construction of 450 two-room primary schools (Rs125m) and introduction of computer education in 230 middle schools (Rs75m).

Of the funds allocated for the Sindh Education Foundation, Rs450m will be spent on promotion of private schools in rural areas/urban slums, Rs450m on integrated education learning programme, Rs207.9m on setting up of rural schools through public-private partnership and Rs10.41m on early childhood education and early learning education programme.