Education Policy
Fund constraints hamper implementation
Implementation of the country's education policy is in jeopardy due to poor allocation of funds in the sector, a parliamentary body observed yesterday.
The parliamentary standing committee on education mnistry therefore called upon Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina to allocate at least 20 percent of the national budget to the education sector.
“The committee members will call on the finance minister soon to allocate more money to education sector to implement some major tasks,” said Rashed Khan Menon, chief of the committee, following a meeting at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the city.
“If necessary, the committee will meet the PM on the matter,” added Menon, also president of Workers' Party.
He said the ministry could not implement Monthly Pay Order (MPO) to teachers of the public educational institutions due to fund scarcity.
“Tk 1,000 crore is needed to implement MPO in the current fiscal, while the ministry has only Tk 15 crore," he said.
Also, Tk 327 crore is needed on a ministry project to give Time Scale incentives to the qualified teachers who have completed eight years or more of service, but no money was allocated in this regard, said lawmaker Menon.
“If needed, we have asked the government to curtail funds from any unproductive sector to allocate those in the education sector,” he also said.
Meanwhile, the House watchdog formed a sub-committee to enquire into alleged corruption in the Tk 600 crore-project to improve teaching quality in secondary education.
Headed by Abdul Wohab, also an Awami League MP, the three-member sub-committee was asked to place the enquiry report at the earliest.
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