Education ministry seeks Rs62b in upcoming budget

Document includes funds for five unapproved projects

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has sought Rs62 billion in the upcoming federal budget for 25 projects, include seventeen on-going projects, three new and five projects that are yet to be approved.

According to the budget documents, the ministry has demanded Rs150 million for the Education Management Capacity Building project, Rs2 billion for scholarships of students of Indian Illegally-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, Rs2.5 billion for the construction of the administration block at Lahore’s National College of Arts, and another Rs4 billion rupees for the directorate of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Similarly, federal education ministry wants Rs3 billion for the Home Economics College, Management Sciences and Special Discipline College.

Rs1.5 billion has been earmarked for the construction of the Islamabad Model College for Men, Margalla Town. Rs51 million for Islamabad Model College for Girls G13.

Another Rs43 million has been set aside for Islamabad Model College for Men G-4/10-4.

Meanwhile, Rs2 billion has been set aside for the National Curriculum Council while the ministry has sought Rs72 million for project planning and development unit of the ministry.

Other costs include Rs1 billion for the “Matric-Tech Pathways for Integrating Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Formal Education” project.

Another head with an amount of Rs1.21 billion has been apportioned to improve the on-boarding and recruitments of teachers in the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), Rs16 million for 200 e-learning class rooms for the students of grades VI to X11 in Islamabad, Rs11.85 billion for the prime minister’s “Skills for All” and another Rs20 billion for facilities in the schools under FED.

There are recommendations for the funds for other projects also. The ministry wants Rs1.1 billion to upgrade facilities at the NCA, and another Rs2.06 for computer labs and salaries of computer teachers in the government educational institutions under the Universal Services Fund (USF).

In new projects, the ministry has sought Rs2 billion to Covid-19 related preparedness, another Rs2.5 billion for the establishment of the National Institute of Excellence in Teacher’s Education and Rs500 million for a project for out-of-school children,

The ministry has sought Rs3.34 billion for five unapproved projects as well.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2023.