The government has proposed a budget of Tk66,401 crore for the education sector in the next fiscal year, up from a budget of Tk61,114 crore in the fiscal year 2019-20.
In his budget proposals placed in parliament today, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal set aside an allocation of Tk24,940 crore for the primary education sector in the fiscal year 2020-21, which is a small increase from the budget of Tk24,040 crore allocated in the fiscal year 2019-20 for the sector.
However, allocation for the budget for the secondary and higher education sector saw a significant rise, going from Tk29,624 crore in the fiscal year 2019-20 to Tk33,117 crore in the fiscal year 2020-21.
In addition, Tk8,344 crore was allocated for technical and madrasa education for the next fiscal year, which was Tk7,450 crore in the fiscal year 2019-20.
In his draft budget speech, the Minister said: “Around 40 million students were stuck in their academic curriculum due to suspension of all academic institutions of the country since mid-March. But the strategy for the next fiscal year will be to bring back continuity in the curriculum and cover this loss by ensuring science- and technology-based education, so that students can lead the fourth industrial revolution.
However, the main strategy for the primary education sector in the next fiscal year will be to ensure a high-quality primary education system, and to reduce dropout rates in schools.
The government is giving more emphasis on improving the quality of secondary education and on research in higher education, according to the draft budget statement.
In the fiscal year 2020-21, stipend will be provided to 5,57,000 male and 10,95,000 female students at the secondary level, 1,16,000 male and 4,62,000 female students at the higher secondary level, and 50,000 male and 1,50,000 female students at the degree level, according to the draft budget.
Educationist Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam said: “We need to ensure balance, quality, and base of education at all levels. Education systems and facilities must maintain consistent quality across cities and rural areas. The budget should be distributed fairly, avoiding any discrimination.”
