Education sector may get increased allocation in FY 25-26

The country's education sector is likely to get a significant boost in budgetary allocation in the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year, aiming to enhance the quality of education and align it with international standards.

Planning and Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud has emphasised increasing the allocation for education, said sources at the Planning Commission.

"He has given specific directives to prioritise increased budgetary allocations for education," a senior Planning Commission official told UNB.

The official said the upcoming allocation would represent a substantial proportional increase but the focus will not be limited to infrastructure.

More emphasis will be given to procuring educational tools, scientific equipment, and research materials, he said.

Speaking at a recent Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) briefing, Wahiduddin Mahmud said that the interim government is committed to enhancing the education sector budget.

"We think we will allocate a higher budget for education by the end of the fiscal year," he said during the briefing.

Wahiduddin, one of the country's leading economists, had earlier highlighted the importance of human resource development alongside infrastructure investment.

"Infrastructure without skilled human resources is merely a skeleton," he said at a lecture organised by the Economic Reporters' Forum in Dhaka.

He warned that inadequate human resource development could trap the country in the lower-middle-income bracket.

The ousted Awami League government allocated Tk94,710 crore to the education sector in the 2023-24 fiscal year, a 7.42% increase from the previous year.

The budget included Tk38,819 crore for primary and mass education, up from Tk34,722 crore in FY2023-24, Tk44,108 crore for secondary and higher education against Tk42,839 crore in the previous fiscal year.

Besides, Tk11,783 crore was allocated for the Technical and Madrasa Education, an increase from Tk10,602 crore.

However, as a percentage of GDP, education sector allocation has decreased to 1.69% from 1.76% in the previous fiscal year. This is the lowest allocation in 16 years and far below UNESCO's recommended 4–6%.

Annual Development Programme (ADP) for FY2024-25, approved by the National Economic Council (NEC), education ranked third among the top 10 sectors, receiving Tk31,529 crore (11.36% of the total ADP outlay of Tk2,65,000 crore).

The transport and communication sector topped the ADP allocation with Tk70,687.75 crore (26.67%), followed by power and energy with Tk40,752 crore (15.38%).

According to the latest World Bank data, Bhutan topped the region in 2022 by allocating 8.14% of its GDP to education.

It was followed by the Maldives with 4.58%, Nepal with 3.65%, and Pakistan with 1.97%. India, in 2021, dedicated 4.64% of its GDP to education, while Afghanistan allocated 4.34% in 2017.

In contrast, Sri Lanka allocated only 1.20% of its GDP to education in 2022.