Sindh sets aside Rs451 million for distance learning

Another Rs480 million allocated to Emergent Need Fund to deal with coronavirus crisis

KARACHI: The Sindh government announced on Wednesday Rs21.82 billion for the education sector, including Rs451 million for a college education distance learning programme to deal with the situation ensuing after the pandemic, in the new budget.

Funds reserved for the distance learning programme will be used for purchasing furniture, hiring consultant firms, facilitating communication through electronic media, training teachers for online classes and emergent needs.

Separately, Rs480 million has been set aside for an Emergent Need Fund, for unforeseen expenditure and new initiative that may need to be taken amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Besides, funds reserved for the School Management Committee has been enhanced by 50 per cent, witnessing an increase of Rs400 million and now adding to Rs1.2 billion in comparison to Rs800 billion set aside last year. According to details available to The Express Tribune, Rs400 billion of this amount has been reserved for public schools.

The amount allocated for the printing of free text books for grade-one to grade-10 students has been increased from last year's Rs2.10 billion to Rs2.36 billion.

Furthermore, the government has reserved Rs150 million for NED University of Engineering and Technology's Thar campus and Rs40 million for keeping a count of out-of-school children, as well as those enrolled in madrassas, local council schools and those running under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

Development funds

From funds allocated for the annual development programme (ADP), Rs21.08 billion has been appropriated for the education sector, comprising Rs13.15 billion for school education projects, Rs3.72 for college education projects, Rs128 million for the education of persons with disabilities, Rs713 million for the Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority and Rs3.36 billion for the universities and boards department.

Apart from funds allocated under the ADP, Rs2.31 billion is to be spent on foreign-funded schemes. Of this amount, Rs800 million has been reserved for establishing 25 English medium schools in the province, Rs592.1 for upgrading middle schools to high schools and high schools to higher secondary schools, Rs54 million for yet to be established Mehran University College of Engineering and Technology at Khairpur Mirs and Rs30 million for the construction of two new blocks at Institute of Business Administration's new boys hostel.

The total budget for the sector covers 399 old and 11 new development schemes, pertaining to higher education , college education and school education, with Rs70 million set aside just for new projects.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2020.