Govt reduces money allocation for education

LAHORE: The budget allocated for education this year was less than what it was allocated in the first year of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N’s) government, a budgetary allocation analysis by The Express Tribune revealed.

The yearly allocation for education has slipped to a mere 17.51% in the fiscal year 2017-18, compared to the 19.22% in the fiscal year 2013-14. The decline in the allocation in terms of percentage has been happening since the past 2 years.

In the second year of Nawaz’s government, the yearly allocated was increased to 20.23%. In the fiscal year 2015-16, a total of 21.43% was allocated for education; the highest in the PML-N’s current term. However in the subsequent 2 years, the allocation has been decreasing.



In the fiscal year 2016-17, the Punjab government allocated 18.6% of the total budget to education, a significant decrease from the previous year. In the budget of FY 2017-18, the provincial government allocated 17.51%, another decrease from the previous year. In comparison, the allocation for 2017-18 was 1.71% less than that of the year 2013-14.

Grants for development in education also fluctuated throughout the term, but saw a decrease in FY 2017-18. In the year 2013-14, a total of 17.45% was allocated for development. The year 2014-15 saw a decrease and received 16.61%. In 2015-16, the percentage decreased to 16.3%. However, the year 2016-17 saw a significant increase and development was allocated 22.02%.

In the final year of the five-year term of the government, the development budget has been allocated 21.68%, a decrease of less than percent from the previous year.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2017.