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Budgetary provision too little to upgrade education: Experts

MUSTAK HOSSAIN
The proposed budgetary allocation for education sector would not make any notable contribution in raising the education standard, fear experts.
They said, although the sector is awarded with the highest allocation so far, only a trickle of it goes to developing textbooks and other learning materials -- key to raising standard of education.
The allocation for education in the proposed budget for the next financial year (FY) is a little higher than the current one; but in terms of percentage of budget per sector, it faces a downward trend.
Education budget has been on a decreasing curve since the independence of Bangladesh, observed noted intellectual Badruddin Umar.
Budgetary allocation for education has slid to 13.4 percent in the proposed budget for FY2004-05, down from 21.14 percent in FY1972-73. It was 14 percent in the outgoing budget.
This crucial sector is likely to get Tk 7,680 crore in FY05 against Tk 6,740 crore, also the year's highest allocation, in FY04. The sector received Tk 6,871 crore in FY03.
Umar said although the government claims to allocate the highest budget for education sector, but in reality it is a combine budget of three ministries -- Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Education Ministry and Ministry of Religious Affairs.
"Of the allocation, a major portion is always channelled to military education in institutions including cadet colleges and military academies," he pointed out, adding a substantial part is also
diverted for the non-productive madrasa education.
In this context, Umar remarked that cadet colleges and madrasas create discrimination among the society.
Rasheda K Chowdhury, director of Campaign for Popular Education (Campe), said, although the finance minister has announced to recruit 35,000 new teachers, yet there is no allocation for teachers' training and learning materials in the proposed budget. "Teachers' training and learning materials are vital to raise the standard of education," she added.
Rasheda also noted that the increased allocation does not go with the increased number of students and educational institutions. Teachers' salaries and infrastructure expenditures also gobble up a big chunk of the educational spending, she added.
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a leading think-tank, has already proposed to the government to gradually increase the budget allocation for education by 5 percent of the GNP (gross national product). Current allocation for education is around 2 percent of the GNP.