KARACHI: While presenting the Sindh budget for financial year 2024-25 on Friday, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that Rs454 billion was set aside for the education sector against the last year`s budget of Rs334bn. It represents 25 per cent of the totalcurrent revenue expenditure.

The proposed amount will cover the primary, secondary, middle, higher secondary, college and university levels of education. The allocation is an increase of 36 per cent from last year`s.

The provision of funds for Sindh Higher Education Commission during 2024-25 is Rs34.5 billion against the last year`s budget of Rs23 billion reflecting an increase of around 50 per cent.

For technical education, funds of Rs6.9 billion are kept in next year`s budget.

It has been pointed out that the Sindh government provides free textbooks to all students from pre-primary to matric in all government schools as well as its partner schools.

For this purpose, the budgetary allocation for distribution of free textbooks has been enhanced from Rs2,530 million to Rs7,500 million in 2024-25.

Furthermore, Rs12 billion has been allocated for purchase of furniture and fixtures in three phases out of which Rs4 billion is earmarked in 2024-25.

The sum of Rs6.875 billion is allocated under Sindh Reform Support Unit`s Budget which includes Rs2.375 billion for restoration of flood damaged schools.

A total of Rs1.654 billion has been allocated for operationalisation of nonformal education centres in districts to reduce the number of out-of-school children.

Moreover, Rs800 million has beenallocatedforgirls`stipendto encourage female literacy rate.

For the upgradation of schools, the government has decided to upgrade 60 secondary schools to higher secondary schools and accordingly posts and provisions have been proposed in the fiscal year of 2024-25.

Moreover, 355 new posts have been proposedfor 60 upgraded higher secondary schools and existing higher secondary schools with financial implication of Rs400.6 million in 2024-25.

Funds of Rs1.2 billion have been proposed for scholarships to students se curing A-1 grade in Secondary School Certificate and Higher School Certificate classes in 2024-25.

Additionally, for the purpose of awarding scholarships to needy and meritorious students of districts studying in various institutions, Rs60 million (Rs10 million to each divisional commissioner) is kept for the next financial year for the `Divisional need cum merit scholarship programme`.

For extending stipend and grants to five medical universities, a provision of Rs7.832 billion has been proposed for next financial year.

An amount of Rs34.5 billion has been proposed in 2024-25 for Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC).

The funds of Rs23.4 billion have been proposed for 30 public sector universities under SHEC. Whereas, Rs4 billion has been allocated for newly established universities in Mirpurkhas, Larkana and Karachi.

For the facilitation and health care of around 10,500 disabled persons/children, assistive devices have been provided at a cost of Rs200 million through 22 NGOs in CFY 2023-24. Besides, a high-tech braille press in Karachi has been operationalised.

Likewise, a stipend of Rs2,000 per child is being provided to 4,190 children with disabilities enrolled in 66 centres. Funding for C-Arts established centres for autism-effected children has also been enhanced. In order to cater to all aforesaid needs, funds of Rs112 million have been earmarked in thenexthscalyear.

For the education for persons with disabilities, Rs6.3 billion has been proposed in 2024-25. Some of the important proposals for next year`s budget include Rs1.22 billion for NGOs working for differently-abled persons, Rs1 billion for differently-abled personsorganisations (DPOs), Rs400 million for the purchase of assistive devices for special children, Rs112 million for stipend to disabled children, Rs100 million for repair and maintenance of special education centres, Rs100 million for Persons with Disabilities Protection Authority, Rs40 million for capacity building and training of teachers and Rs75 million for Special Education School Programme.

Looking back While speaking about the provincial government`s work in the education sector last year, the chief minister said that they had appointed more than 60,000 teachers, upgraded 700 schools to secondary and higher secondary schools, opened 5,300 schools and constructed 700 shelter-less schools.

Plus, in the last five years, they have rehabilitated approximately 4,100 high schools and opened 3,075 new schools.

More than 22,000 primary school teachers, who were working in BPS 9, have beenupgradedtoBPS14.

Teachers appointed on a contract basis from 2008 to 2019 through IBA Sukkur, NTS, Iqra University and Sindh University, were regularised.

On the policy side, teachers` licensing policy, Continuous Professional Development policy, and clustering policy for grassroots level devolution of administrative and financial authority toteachershave been developed.

Some 6,562 Early Childhood Education classrooms were established in all districts for which 635 teachers had been appointed.

Some 106 secondary schools with the assistance of USAID and 74 girls` elementary schools with the assistance of JICA have been constructed.

Besides, establishment of four public sector universities shows the government`s `commitment` to expanding higher education opportunities, it was stated.

It was also pointed out that under the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource Research and Development Board, more than 150,000 youth (male and female) have been trained in several employable sectors in the last five years.

Almost 50 per cent of these trainees have received decent employment in various sectors including health, education, banking, aviation, IT, etc.