By Khalid Khattak
LAHORE: THE Punjab government will allocate around Rs 5 billion in budget 2008-09 for the establishment of computer labs in government high and higher secondary schools of the province.With the addition of allocation for the establishment of computer laboratories, the total allocations for education sector in the budget 2008-09 would be over Rs 27 billion, sources dealing with the budget proposals informed The News.They said the allocations for the computer education project would be reflected in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) in the upcoming budget. The said the project was not in budgetary proposals forwarded by the education department earlier, adding efforts in that connection were made following the announcement by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in which he had said over 4000 public schools would be given facilities to impart computer education in the near future. The announcement regarding the provision of computer education in all the high and higher secondary schools of Punjab was made by Shahbaz Sharif in his maiden speech after being elected as CM Punjab on June 8. He had also maintained that the judiciary, the health and the education sectors would be among top priorities of his government.Sources in the school education department said that the CM had vowed to provide opportunities of computer education to students of all high and higher secondary schools of the province during the upcoming fiscal year. “For this purpose IT labs would be established in around 4500 high and higher secondary schools of the province”, they said. “There are over 5000 high and higher secondary schools in Punjab”, they said, adding “Over 512 have already been provided the facilities of computers and IT labs”.They said the project regarding the establishment of IT labs in the government high and higher secondary schools was initiated in 2004 with support of the federal government. “Since then, IT labs have been establishment in over 500 schools of Punjab”, they said, adding “The rest of the schools were still deprived of the facility”. An official of school education department said the establishment of computer labs in around 4500 schools in one year would be a challenging task, adding, however, it was not impossible provided there was a vision. “The project earlier could not be completed because of funding issues in the past”, he added. Talking about School Education budgetary allocations in 2008-09 ADP, he said, earlier, over Rs 10 billion were proposed in school education adding, with the addition of computer education project, the total proposed allocation for the department would be over Rs 16 billion.When contacted, a senior officer of Punjab School Education Department, seeking anonymity, confirmed the proposed budgetary allocation for computer education. He said the special announcement in that regard would be made in the upcoming budget. He said school education was top priority of the new government, adding maximum allocations were likely to be made for the school education department in budget 2008-09.
Source: The News International
Friday, June 13, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Education depts finalise Rs 22b budgetary proposals
Friday, June 06, 2008
By Khalid Khattak
LAHORE: VARIOUS departments in the education sector have forwarded budgetary proposals worth Rs 22 billion in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) 2008-09 in the upcoming budget, The News has learnt.According to sources, a major chunk of proposed allocation - over Rs 20 billion - had been proposed by the Punjab School Education Department and the Higher Education Department while rest of the allocation in the budget has been proposed by other departments, including Punjab Special Education Department and Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department.The Punjab government had allocated Rs 21.480 billion for education sector in the ADP 2007-08, registering an increase of 72 per cent as compared to the budgetary allocation for 2006-07.Sources in the Punjab Education Department, which has recently been bifurcated into the School Education department and the Higher Education department, have finalized budget proposals.According to the sources, the School Education Department has proposed around Rs 10 billion budget adding almost similar allocations were being proposed by the Higher Education Department. Regular meetings were being held with the Planning and Development (PD) Department these days.Sources in the Special Education Department said the department had proposed around Rs 1 billion allocations but the PD had imposed cuts on these proposals. It is also learnt that the Literacy Department had also proposed around Rs 1 billion budgetary allocation.Senior officials of departments in the education sector, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the PD had been imposing cuts on the proposed allocations forwarded by various departments adding meetings to finalise the budgetary proposals were being held in this connection almost on a daily basis. They said various schemes, introduced in the ADP 2007-08 which could not be initiated during the whole last year would be included in the upcoming annual development plan.The sources revealed that various schemes for the higher education for the year 2007-08 including internal merit scholarships for professional colleges in Punjab, establishment of public library at Kamalia, Toba Tak Singh, college teachers training, establishment of Government Girls’ Degree College Shahdra, Marghazar Colony Lahore, Khanewal, Sialkot and Chakwal and establishment of Boys Degree Colleges at Gujrat, Multan, Jhang and Shalimar Town Lahore could not be initiated and these schemes would be included in the ADP 2008-09.When contacted, Higher Education Department’s Deputy Director (Planning) Iftikhar Hassan Butt said some schemes regarding establishment of new colleges could not be initiated due to non availability of land. He said majority of the schemes had been approved and would be started soon. A scheme regarding college teachers training could not be started in 2007-08 and it would be included in 2008-09 ADP. He said around 85 percent of the previous budgetary allocation had been used so far.According to the sources, a number of schemes from the school side could not be started during the previous fiscal year and would be included in the upcoming ADP. Prominent among these schemes are renovation of Government Central Model High School, Lower Mall and provision of building for the Punjab Examination Commission. They said both the schemes had been included in the ADP 2008-09.It is learnt that a number of these schemes related to the Literacy and Non Formal Basic Education Department included in the ADP 2007-08 could not be started during the ongoing fiscal year about to end soon and these schemes had been included in the next ADP.It is learnt that the Special Education Department had started almost all the schemes including nutrition programme for students of special education, provision of teaching aids to students, establishment of a computer lab and recourse and guidance center at Lahore, provision of first aid kits to the institutions of special education in Punjab, establishment of special home for destitute children at Lahore, implementation of special education institutions/ centers in Punjab and some other schemes.The sources said a scheme regarding establishment of labs for the repair and maintenance of equipment/ teaching aids at district level in Punjab was dropped by the secretary of the Special Education Department. When contacted, Secretary Suhail Masood said the scheme was dropped after thorough deliberations. “It would have become a liability for ever because of which the scheme was dropped”, he added.
Source: The News International
Friday, June 06, 2008
By Khalid Khattak
LAHORE: VARIOUS departments in the education sector have forwarded budgetary proposals worth Rs 22 billion in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) 2008-09 in the upcoming budget, The News has learnt.According to sources, a major chunk of proposed allocation - over Rs 20 billion - had been proposed by the Punjab School Education Department and the Higher Education Department while rest of the allocation in the budget has been proposed by other departments, including Punjab Special Education Department and Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department.The Punjab government had allocated Rs 21.480 billion for education sector in the ADP 2007-08, registering an increase of 72 per cent as compared to the budgetary allocation for 2006-07.Sources in the Punjab Education Department, which has recently been bifurcated into the School Education department and the Higher Education department, have finalized budget proposals.According to the sources, the School Education Department has proposed around Rs 10 billion budget adding almost similar allocations were being proposed by the Higher Education Department. Regular meetings were being held with the Planning and Development (PD) Department these days.Sources in the Special Education Department said the department had proposed around Rs 1 billion allocations but the PD had imposed cuts on these proposals. It is also learnt that the Literacy Department had also proposed around Rs 1 billion budgetary allocation.Senior officials of departments in the education sector, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the PD had been imposing cuts on the proposed allocations forwarded by various departments adding meetings to finalise the budgetary proposals were being held in this connection almost on a daily basis. They said various schemes, introduced in the ADP 2007-08 which could not be initiated during the whole last year would be included in the upcoming annual development plan.The sources revealed that various schemes for the higher education for the year 2007-08 including internal merit scholarships for professional colleges in Punjab, establishment of public library at Kamalia, Toba Tak Singh, college teachers training, establishment of Government Girls’ Degree College Shahdra, Marghazar Colony Lahore, Khanewal, Sialkot and Chakwal and establishment of Boys Degree Colleges at Gujrat, Multan, Jhang and Shalimar Town Lahore could not be initiated and these schemes would be included in the ADP 2008-09.When contacted, Higher Education Department’s Deputy Director (Planning) Iftikhar Hassan Butt said some schemes regarding establishment of new colleges could not be initiated due to non availability of land. He said majority of the schemes had been approved and would be started soon. A scheme regarding college teachers training could not be started in 2007-08 and it would be included in 2008-09 ADP. He said around 85 percent of the previous budgetary allocation had been used so far.According to the sources, a number of schemes from the school side could not be started during the previous fiscal year and would be included in the upcoming ADP. Prominent among these schemes are renovation of Government Central Model High School, Lower Mall and provision of building for the Punjab Examination Commission. They said both the schemes had been included in the ADP 2008-09.It is learnt that a number of these schemes related to the Literacy and Non Formal Basic Education Department included in the ADP 2007-08 could not be started during the ongoing fiscal year about to end soon and these schemes had been included in the next ADP.It is learnt that the Special Education Department had started almost all the schemes including nutrition programme for students of special education, provision of teaching aids to students, establishment of a computer lab and recourse and guidance center at Lahore, provision of first aid kits to the institutions of special education in Punjab, establishment of special home for destitute children at Lahore, implementation of special education institutions/ centers in Punjab and some other schemes.The sources said a scheme regarding establishment of labs for the repair and maintenance of equipment/ teaching aids at district level in Punjab was dropped by the secretary of the Special Education Department. When contacted, Secretary Suhail Masood said the scheme was dropped after thorough deliberations. “It would have become a liability for ever because of which the scheme was dropped”, he added.
Source: The News International
Friday, June 06, 2008
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