Education budget should exceed 3% and remain above politics: Experts

Highlights:

• Bangladesh's latest education budget is only 1.69% of GDP
• The budget as percentage of GDP fell from 2.49% to 1.69% (FY17-FY25)
• Free primary education up to class 8 proposed
• Experts demands independent commission for education

Education experts and economists have urged the government to increase the education budget beyond 3% of GDP and to keep it free from political influence for the country's better future. 

At a pre-budget press conference organised by the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in the capital today, experts highlighted that Bangladesh's education budget currently stands at 1.69% of GDP. 

They demanded the government double the allocation to address systemic issues and align with global standards.

Mostafizur Rahman, deputy director of CAMPE, presented the keynote address, emphasising that Bangladesh lags behind neighboring countries in education spending. 

"While Bangladesh allocates 1.69% of GDP to education, Myanmar spends 2.2%, Pakistan 2.7%, and Sri Lanka 2.8%. We demand the education budget be increased to over 3% and that it is spent solely on educational purposes."

"Our budget has decreased from 14% of total expenditure in the 2016-17 fiscal year to 11.88% in 2024-25," he said. 

"In terms of GDP, it fell from 2.49% to 1.69% during the same period. Among 41 least developed countries (LDCs), Bangladesh's education spending is the fifth lowest."

Call for reforms

Calling for urgent reforms, Mostafizur Rahman recommended implementing short-term measures to strengthen the fragile education system and adopting medium-term plans to prepare students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

"We need to establish a teacher recruitment commission and offer competitive compensation to recruit qualified graduates based on merit," he added. 

He also proposed free primary education up to class 8 and improved linkages with pre-vocational education systems.

CAMPE Executive Director Rasheda K Choudhury said, "Education must be above party politics. Sri Lanka has increased its education budget from 2% to 6.4% of GDP. If they can do it, why can't we?"

"While there are ongoing discussions about allowances, there is little focus on education," she said.

Independent commission demanded 

Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said, "There are many commissions, but why not one for education?" he asked. "In the upcoming elections, political parties should prioritise citizens' demands for better education policies."

He also recommended increasing stipends for students to address rising educational expenses. 

"Currently, primary school students receive Tk128 per month, which is insufficient. We propose raising this to Tk500 for primary students and Tk700-1000 for students in classes 6 to 10."

Professor Emeritus Dr Manzoor Ahmed at BRAC University, criticised the government's lack of initiative to address educational inequality. 

"Despite making practical recommendations, we see little change. Education policies remain stuck in bureaucratic routines, and political promises remain unfulfilled," he said.

Manzoor pointed to the emergence of new political entities like the National Citizen Party (NCP) as a potential opportunity for change. 

However, he noted that existing political manifestos, including the BNP's 31-point agenda, remain vague on education reform.