The budget allocated for the education sector is the lowest in a decade this year.

Last year, the budget allocation was 15 per cent of the total budget while this year, it is 13.91 per cent.

The government has allocated Rs 86.03 billion for fiscal year 2014/15. The total budget for the fiscal year 2014/15 is 618.1 billion. The education budget was between 16 per cent and 17 per cent in the past ten years, but it dropped to 13.91 per cent, the lowest in a decade, this year.

The government has announced it will pass the Education Act, bring an umbrella act for universities and do the needful to establish open universities in the country. The government is also observing the new fiscal year as the ‘Year of eradication of illiteracy’. It has announced grants for 2,000 more teachers in Higher Secondary Level. It also plans to merge 200 schools during the new fiscal.

Policy-wise, the government aims to encourage Public-Private Partnership to improve school education. It has also assured facilities for private schools that support government schools in improving the quality of education. More incentives for Dalit, Chepang and Raute kids in terms of incentives ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 for higher education have also been announced. Skill oriented training for youths and vocational education in all constituencies were the other programmes of government.

However, despite these promises, the education budget has been slashed.

Bidhyanath Koirala, an educationist said the budgetary allocation for education sector was not satisfactory. He said, “At a time while we are asking for at least 20 per cent budget, the current allocation is in no way encouraging for the education sector. Other than policy level activities such as passing education act, umbrella act, among others, there is no new programme that needs more budget,” Koirala said, adding, “Other programmes such as infrastructure development of schools, incentives to Dalit and marginalised students and others, merely give continuity to the previous years’ programmes.”

source: the himalayan times,13 july 2014