Resolution seeks 6% hike in education budget

The resolution has been submitted by Awami National Party women MPA Shagufta Malik

PESHAWAR: Even though education is a stated priority of the government, an opposition party on Wednesday submitted a resolution in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday seeking an increase in the education budget by six per cent for the upcoming financial year 2019-20.

The resolution was submitted by Awami National Party (ANP) women MPA Shagufta Malik.

The resolution submitted in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly states that under Article 25-A of the Constitution and the K-P Free Education Law, it is mandatory on the provincial government to raise the education budget.

The resolution further stated that in the settled districts, 21 per cent of boys and 49 per cent of girls are out-of-school. In the tribal districts, this figure jumps to 43 per cent for boys and 73 per cent for girls.

As per the money allocated in the current budget, it is not possible to bring these children back into schools, noted Maliks’ resolution.

It is essential that the provincial government should enhance the education budget by six per cent to bring the un-enrolled students of the settled and tribal districts back into schools, it added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2019.