Will 27% rise be enough for education sector challenges? Experts doubt

The government has proposed a substantial 27% increase in funding for the education sector in the upcoming fiscal year's budget. This represents a significant rise from the Tk74,597 crore allocated in the revised budget for FY24, with the new proposal going up to Tk94,711 crore.

However, education experts have expressed concerns that the increase is inadequate to address the sector's challenges, particularly considering rising inflation and the increasing cost of educational materials.

Moreover, they have criticised the proposed 20% source tax on savings interest, up from the current 10%, for public universities and MPOs (institutions receiving government grants).

The experts believe that additional taxes could negatively impact teachers' ability to carry out their day-to-day classroom responsibilities in the approximately 57 public universities and over 29,000 MPO institutes, including schools, in the country.

"Due to the rising cost of living, teachers are already facing financial strain like any other profession. Increasing the source tax on savings from 10% to 20% now is like adding insult to injury," said Dhaka University's Institute of Education and Research Professor Dr Mohammad Ali Zinnah.

"The ongoing attempt to bring teachers under the universal pension scheme has already given rise to public discontent. If the government now targets their savings, it will likely lead to a negative psychological reaction, potentially hindering their ability to fully dedicate themselves to classroom activities," he explained.

He added that if most teachers are forced to take on additional work outside of teaching to meet their living expenses, it will inevitably detract from the attention they can give to their students.

The need for increased funding is further underscored by rising inflation within the education sector itself. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, inflation in education reached 5.73% in May 2024, a significant rise from 4.58% the previous month.

A recent study by Education Watch, a civil society research platform, sheds light on the additional financial burden placed on families. Their findings reveal that out-of-pocket education expenses for secondary education soared by 51% during the first half of 2023, while primary education expenses rose by 25%.

The study attributes this increase to the perceived inadequacy of classroom learning, leading students to rely on expensive private tuition, coaching centres, and guidebooks.

The Unesco Global Education Monitoring Report 2022 further notes the financial strain on families, with the report stating that families in Bangladesh bear a staggering 71% of the total education expenditure.

Thursday's (6 June) proposed budget breakdown reveals increases across educational levels, in response to these challenges.

Primary education received an allocation of Tk38,819 crore, compared to Tk30,481 crore in the revised budget of the current fiscal year.

Secondary and higher education saw an increase to Tk44,109 crore from Tk34,132 crore.

Technical and Madrasa education also received a boost, with an allocation of Tk11,783 crore compared to Tk9,984 crore previously.

However, Brac University's Professor Dr Mohammad Kaykobad told TBS, "The rise in sector-wise allocation is minimal, especially considering the rising cost of living and educational materials. Furthermore, the allocation remains below 2% of GDP, which demonstrates that education is not receiving the priority it deserves"

"A skilled and educated workforce is essential if we are to achieve our goal of becoming a middle-income and developed country. The current level of education funding is simply not in line with the goal of achieving these targets," he added.

The education budget constitutes 11.9% of the total budget, falling short of the 20% recommended by Unesco. It remains 1.7% of GDP, below the 4-6% suggested by the Education 2030 Framework for Action.

The education budget has consistently fallen below 2% of GDP for the past two decades.

Compared to other South Asian nations, Bangladesh ranks second-lowest in education spending, only ahead of Sri Lanka.

According to recent World Bank data, Bhutan leads the region with 8.14% of GDP invested in education (2022). The Maldives (4.58%), Nepal (3.65%), and Pakistan (1.97%) all dedicate a significantly higher proportion of their GDP to education. Even India allocated 4.64% of GDP in 2021, while Afghanistan allocated 4.34% in 2017.

In an additional effort to support education, the government has also focused on improving student nutrition. During the presentation of the national budget for FY25 yesterday, Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali announced that the school feeding program for more than 27 lakh students in 104 upazilas has been completed under the "School Feeding in Poverty-Stricken Areas" project.

Following this, a new project has been undertaken to launch the "School Feeding Programme" in all primary schools across 150 upazilas of the country.