LAHORE: The Punjab government has allocated Rs4 billion for the provision of missing facilities in 2,000 primary schools – half of them girls’ schools – in the Annual Development Programme for 2012-2013.
Another Rs4.484 billion has been allocated for other new schemes for the Schools Education Department, which has been given a total development budget of Rs15 billion.
The new projects include Rs500 million for the rehabilitation of schools in 13 flood-affected districts; Rs519 million for the establishment of upgrading of girls middle schools to high schools in union councils; Rs500 million for the establishment or rehabilitation of schools in congested urban areas and housing societies in urban peripheries; Rs700 million for the conversion of high/higher secondary schools to model schools with enrolment of over 1,000 students in grades 8 to 10; and Rs400 million for the provision of furniture in schools.
Higher education
The Punjab government allocated Rs1.463 billion for the establishment of new colleges in the Rs6.65 billion development budget for the Higher Education Department.
This includes a block allocation of Rs2.272 billion, which can be spent on any project at the chief minister’s discretion. Some Rs175.307 million has been allocated for the Punjab Education Sector Reform Programme.
About Rs300 million of the Rs700 million allocated for special education projects is a block allocation, while Rs254 million has been allocated for new schemes. A total of Rs44 million has been allocated for the provision of uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems or generators in special education institutions.
Literacy and non formal basic education has been allotted Rs915 million, with a block allocation of Rs548 million. Around Rs300 million is for new schemes and Rs67 million for ongoing schemes.
Daanish Schools and laptops
The government allocated Rs2 billion for the Daanish School System, Rs2 billion for the Punjab Education Endowment Fund and Rs6.5 billion for the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). Some Rs1 billion is to be spent on setting up the Punjab Technology University, and Rs1 billion on buses for girls’ colleges. The budget also includes Rs4 billion for the provision of laptops to bright students.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2012.
COMMENTS (6)
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4b for missing schools will help over 500,000 children. The remaining 4b for laptops will buy 100,000 votes.
@Ali: Our technocrats are useless. They are a product of corrupt and decadent system. They are only interested in buying plots. Politicians on the other hand have to ask for votes and therefore end up giving something to the people.
500 million to renovate schools in flood affected regions. The population of these regions must be at least 15 million. 4 billion for laptops. Does anyone else see the stupidity of this? Let education officials and technocrats decide where this money is best spent. Not our great visionary politicians.
The people from older generation find computers to be something from out of this world. Our CM probably thinks that by giving laptops to students, he can bring some kind of revolution. That's just like giving an iphone to students and expect them to bring a technological revolution.
This is off-topic. There was no need for these comments here.
No wonder girls schools keep getting blown up. Without schools, items like missing laptops do not matter.