Page 66 - EducationWorld March 2023

Cover story II

Union Budget 2023-24: Major education allocations — I
(Rs. crore)
Department of School Education & Literacy 2022-23 (RE*) 2023-24

1. Establishment expenditure 40 39.1
2. National Awards to teachers 3.80 nil
3. Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning
Programme (DHRUV) 0.01 0.01

4. National Means Cum Merit Scheme 300.00 364.01
5. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan 7,512.00 8,363.98
6. Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti 4,920.30 5,486.50
7. NCERT 405.00 518.50
8. National Bal Bhavan 22.00 22.38
9. Transfer to Madhyamik and Uchchtar
School children in rural Jharkhand
Shiksha Kosh (middle and higher
secondary ed) 10,100.00 6,000.00
governments, and that the Centre’s
provision is for funding the small mi- 10. Samagra Shiksha (primary & secondary)
nority of Central government schools education support to states 32,151.00 37,453.00
(Kendriya Vidyalayas and JNVs), 11. Midday school meal support to states 12,800.00 11,600.00
IITs/IIMs and 54 Central govern-
ment universities, since the time this 12. PM Poshan (Nutrition) 400.00 800.00
pioneer education-focused publica- 13. PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) nil 4,000.00
tion was launched (1999), your editors
have been advising successive Central 14. Teacher Training & Adult Education 100.00 nil
governments to set a good example to 15. New India Literacy Programme nil 157.00
the states by raising its expenditure -------------- -------------
on public education to 2.5-3 percent Total 59,052.76 68,804.85
of GDP. -------------- -------------
We believe that this will prompt Source: www.indiabudget.gov.in * Revised expenditure
state governments to increase their
budgets for education to attain the na- schools. tion, according to the Unified District
tional goal of 6 percent of GDP set by A well-researched study titled Information System for Education
the Kothari Commission way back in Walking a Tight-Rope published by Plus (UDISE+) statistics, the enrol-
1967. Curiously, most academics and the Delhi-based Centre for Budget ment in school education is 26.5 crore
media pundits are unimpressed by and Governance Accountabil- (265 million) in 2021-22, highest ever
EW's contention that neglect of pub- ity (estb.2002) in response to Union in the last ten years. The key concern
lic education is the gravest misjudge- Budget 2023-24 comments: “A re- is now quality of learning, and the
ment in the history of independent cent report by the National Council learning loss incurred by the students
India, and a prime cause of India be- of Educational Research & Training during the pandemic. According to the
ing clubbed together with the world’s (NCERT) shows that the enrolment National Achievement Survey (NAS)
poorest and most backward countries. at primary level started decreasing 2021, there has been a progressive
Despite its plus points, Union Bud- from 2011 and may decrease by over decline in the learning outcomes of
get 2023-24 shows little concern that 14 percent in 2025 with the enrolment students across all grades in almost all
instead of advancing up the learning of girls and boys expected to decline the subjects. Annual Status of Educa-
curve, the great majority of India’s by 15 percent and 13 percent, respec- tion Report Rural (ASER) 2022 shows
children — except perhaps middle tively. A decline at secondary level that children’s basic reading ability
class children enrolled in 50,000 (out was also observed from 2020 and it has dipped sharply to pre-2012 levels.
of a total 1.4 million) upscale private could further decline by 16 percent The percentage of children in class III
schools — are struggling on slippery in 2025. While the NCERT report at- in government or private schools who
slopes, especially in 1.10 million gov- tributed this dip in enrolment to a fall can read at class II level is down from
ernment and 400,000 budget private in growth rate of India’s child popula- 27.3 percent in 2018 to 20.5 percent

68 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2023