Rs2,771 crore boost to education in Gujarat

As the minister of state for finance Vajubhai Vala announced the state budget for 2012-13 on Friday, around Rs2,771 crore were allocated for setting up new institutes, schools and classrooms, hostels, training teachers and improving infrastructure in education institute in the state. Overall, according to seniors in the education sector, the budget lacks focus on the quality of education.

The announcement in the budget for the education sector includes Rs67 crore for an autonomous university for infrastructure, engineering and management at Ahmedabad to prepare necessary manpower for the modern economy, it is stated. Apart from this, 15 new colleges in the Arts, Commerce and Science streams, are planned to expand the access to higher education. Also provision of Rs 4.50 crore is made to provide vocational training to laborers in the unorganised sector and also provision for their children's education is made. 

The education department has made provision of Rs2,700 crore for different projects. This includes Rs551 crore for the construction of 15,600 classrooms and 7688 compound walls, and repair of 1,200 school buildings for primary education. The education department has also made provision of recruiting some 1,000 teachers to meet the number of teachers in the upper primary section after standard VIII was included in the upper primary.   

The provisions also include Rs32 crore for providing educational material to 32,000 primary schools, Rs12.50 crore for construction of 1,000 toilets blocks for disabled students in primary schools, to undertake for computerisation in primary education at a cost of Rs78 crore, Rs82 crore for construction of 350 new secondary schools, 73 new model schools and buildings of girls' hostels.

The education department has also made provision of Rs19.85 crore for construction of six new government schools and modernisation of 60 government schools. Reacting on the financial allocation and infrastructure development and education, GPCC spokesperson Manish Doshi said some of the announcement by the state government are repetitive.

"The government wants to come up with new it is, but majority of seats are vacant and the budget lacks focus on skill development", he said.