PCE Report: Despite timely release of funds, underutilisation still an issue
Report notes that a number of schools still do not get student council funds
Out of the 20 equity funds currently in operation, 11 of them meet this minimum fund size requirement. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
A report tracking budget of School Management Committees (SMCs) has revealed that most school funds in Pakistan remain underutilised or inappropriately used.
The finding was shared on the launch of a report by Pakistan Coalition for Education “Do Schools Get Money?” The report also focused on underutilisation and inefficient prioritisation of SMC funds, large gender gaps in enrolment rates, and lack of basic facilities remain to be persisting issues in government primary schools.
The event featured discussions on the findings of “Do Schools Get Money? 2016” and citizen participation in accountability mechanisms set in the context of devolution and upcoming elections of 2018. A “Vote for Education” campaign was also launched alongside the report.
SMCs are given grants of up to Rs25,000 annually, but available School Council Grants are not spent in most cases. The report reveals that 38% of surveyed schools in Punjab, 25% of surveyed schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and 49% in Sindh did not receive student council funds during the fiscal year 2015-16.
Some of the key findings of the report were girls’ enrolment and attendance in comparison to boys decreased drastically as the grade increased in K-P, Sindh and Punjab.
In Balochistan, the report explains, the mechanism for getting money to the schools has not always remained with Parent-Teacher School Management Councils (PTSMC). Over the years, they have not been given legislative status thus the scope and role for PTSMCs to operate is not comparable to other provinces.
However, given the political, demographic, ethnic, communal and economic history and realities of Balochistan, the state of education in Balochistan is far from satisfactory. There are a total of 13, 279 government schools in Balochistan, 85% of which are primary schools and in dilapidated condition, it says.
The study says overall Pakistan’s education budget has been one of the lowest in the South-Asian region amounting to a meagre 2.1% of the GDP. However, there has been an increasing trend in the total education spending over the past few years.
“However, a significant portion of the budget occupied by salaries illustrate misallocation of funds and provides a possible explanation for the unavailability of proper facilities in public schools,” it says.
PCE National Coordinator Zehra Arshad said, “It is now time for taking action on the findings and the civil society needs to work together to make education accessible to all as sanctioned by the Article 25-A”.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2016.
A report tracking budget of School Management Committees (SMCs) has revealed that most school funds in Pakistan remain underutilised or inappropriately used.
The finding was shared on the launch of a report by Pakistan Coalition for Education “Do Schools Get Money?” The report also focused on underutilisation and inefficient prioritisation of SMC funds, large gender gaps in enrolment rates, and lack of basic facilities remain to be persisting issues in government primary schools.
The event featured discussions on the findings of “Do Schools Get Money? 2016” and citizen participation in accountability mechanisms set in the context of devolution and upcoming elections of 2018. A “Vote for Education” campaign was also launched alongside the report.
SMCs are given grants of up to Rs25,000 annually, but available School Council Grants are not spent in most cases. The report reveals that 38% of surveyed schools in Punjab, 25% of surveyed schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and 49% in Sindh did not receive student council funds during the fiscal year 2015-16.
Some of the key findings of the report were girls’ enrolment and attendance in comparison to boys decreased drastically as the grade increased in K-P, Sindh and Punjab.
In Balochistan, the report explains, the mechanism for getting money to the schools has not always remained with Parent-Teacher School Management Councils (PTSMC). Over the years, they have not been given legislative status thus the scope and role for PTSMCs to operate is not comparable to other provinces.
However, given the political, demographic, ethnic, communal and economic history and realities of Balochistan, the state of education in Balochistan is far from satisfactory. There are a total of 13, 279 government schools in Balochistan, 85% of which are primary schools and in dilapidated condition, it says.
The study says overall Pakistan’s education budget has been one of the lowest in the South-Asian region amounting to a meagre 2.1% of the GDP. However, there has been an increasing trend in the total education spending over the past few years.
“However, a significant portion of the budget occupied by salaries illustrate misallocation of funds and provides a possible explanation for the unavailability of proper facilities in public schools,” it says.
PCE National Coordinator Zehra Arshad said, “It is now time for taking action on the findings and the civil society needs to work together to make education accessible to all as sanctioned by the Article 25-A”.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2016.