A budget is a spending plan based on income and expenses. In other words, it's an estimation of how much money will be made and spent over a certain period of time. The government has allocated BDT 94,711 crore; which is a 7.42% increase from the outgoing fiscal year's revised budget of BDT 88,162 crore.
Has the budget for education really increased? When we look at the allocation in percentage of GDP, we find that it has decreased from 1.76% last year to 1.69% this year. A sufficient budget allocation can improve learning facilities and infrastructure.
A quality education is one that focusses on the whole child—the social, emotional, mental, physical, and cognitive development of each student regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or geographic location.
Quality education can provide individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the workforce and contribute to their communities. It can also help to break the cycle of poverty, as educated individuals are more likely to be able to access higher-paying jobs and better opportunities.
Quality education is an essential requisite in today’s science- and technology-based competitive world. Quality education is dependent on various factors, such as quality classrooms, and an attractive campus with different facilities, including sufficient structural facilities, quality textbooks, a sufficient number of computer labs, appropriate use of technology, well-trained and qualified teachers.
Initial step of quality education is a logical and implementable curriculum where everything will be clearly guided. But everything is linked with adequate budget. Bangladesh is ranked number one in the world for primary school education enrollment but for secondary school, enrollment and technical education enrollment are not at satisfactory level.
Child marriage, lack of proper sanitary system and child labor are the remarkable barriers at secondary level. We need to improve the quality of our higher education at international level. UNESCO has declared benchmarks of allocating at least 4-6% of GDP and at least 15-20% of total public expenditure for quality education.
According to the report of Liton Chandra Sarkar at ‘Daily Sun’ on 26th May 2024, Bangladesh’s average education expenditure as a percentage of GDP from 2016 to 2023 was the 5th lowest among the 41 least-developed countries (LDC).
We want to make a new Bangladesh. We want to change Bangladesh. It is not impossible if we do not stop corruption. We need to reform our education. Quality education can change everything of a country. But without proper budget allocation nothing can be done with quality. We should rethink of our budget in education. Otherwise, no change will be sustained finally.
Dr Md Billal Hossain
Senior Teacher (Math), Ideal School College (Banasree branch), Dhaka.
