LAHORE: Punjab government has announced a significant increase of 21.2 per cent in the education budget of the province for 2025-26, allocating a sum of Rs811.8 billion – Rs100bn for development expenditure and Rs711.8bn for current expenditure.

The allocation includes funding for new projects, expansion of existing programmes, and a substantial support for infrastructure development and scholarships for students.

The government has sanctioned Rs40bn for construction of additional classrooms, IT labs and missing facilities, under the Punjab Education Management Authority (PEIMA), Rs39bn for outsourcing and private sector investment under the Punjab Education Fund (PEF) and PEIMA, Rs15bn for Honehar Scholarship Programme, Rs5bn for establishing school eminence in 36 districts, Rs4bn for public-private investment in schools, Rs7bn for school meal programme and Rs2bn for establishment of IT labs in colleges.

The government has also allocated Rs3.50bn for the Daanish Schools Programme, which provides quality education to the children from downtrodden and underprivileged sections of society.

The government also allocated Rs25bn recurring budget for universities of the province and Rs2bn for establishment of Mian Nawaz Sharif Engineering and Technology University in Kasur.

The government allocated Rs39.5bn development budget for higher education, Rs5bn for special education, Rs4bn for literacy and non-formal education.

In addition, the government has decided to continue the Undergraduate Scholarship Programme with an allocation of Rs5.9bn, enabling thousands of deserving university students to pursue higher education.

Furthermore, a Rs35bn allocation has been made for the Education Delivery Programme, which aims to improve learning outcomes, teacher training, and the overall delivery of education services throughout the province.

Punjab Minister for School and Higher Education Rana Sikandar Hayat said that the budget represents a vision of development, education and public prosperity.

He said a new era has begun in Punjab with this budget. “We have introduced an education budget that is determined to bring improvement in every student’s life. Every digit in Punjab’s budget speaks of a purpose,” he claimed.

He said that the government had proven through numbers not just words that education is its priority and the 200pc increase in the education development budget is a testament to its commitment.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2025