STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Higher allocation for education will not improve learning unless the government ensures good governance, protects social-sector spending from cuts, and monitors expenditure throughout the year, economists said yesterday.

While welcoming the rise in education allocation in the proposed budget after years of declining financing, they warned that the money must be used to address learning loss, teacher support, research, and accountability.

They made the remarks at a press briefing titled “How Was the Education Budget: Reality and Public Expectations”, organised by Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), at the Jatiya Press Club.

Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said the central issue was not only how much money had been allocated, but how it would be spent.

Higher public spending does not automatically improve education quality, she said, adding that funds must be used efficiently and transparently in areas that improve learning.

CAMPE said the education allocation for FY2026-27 stands at Tk 1,22,495 crore, or 1.79 percent of GDP and 13.06 percent of the national budget. The development allocation rose to Tk 52,597 crore from Tk 20,750 crore.

CAMPE Deputy Director Mostafizur Rahman said the budget mentioned positive steps, including free textbooks, stipends, mental health support, connectivity, teacher devices, vocational education, teacher training, and curriculum reform.

However, it lacks a clear national education vision, a financing roadmap, and adequate focus on learning recovery, foundational literacy and numeracy, regional

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