Public financing of sectors like education reflects the state’s overall developmental framework. Adequate financial support is crucial for building a strong publicly funded education system, which, in turn, ensures social, economic, and political justice for the state’s adult population.
Karnataka’s commitment to strengthening public school education, despite prevailing economic and political challenges, is evident in the budget.
The budget brings hope for further strengthening of the public school education system, offering oppressed communities a fair chance for social justice and equality. It includes several socially beneficial measures and emphasises the improvement of school education. Of the total allocation of Rs 4,09,549 crore, Rs 45,286 crore or 10% is allocated to school education. Though this is 2% lower than last year, the actual allocation has gone up by Rs 864 crore.
The decision to increase the honorarium for guest teachers and mid-day meal workers in primary and secondary schools by Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000, respectively, is commendable. This is expected to boost their performance, improving the overall efficiency of schools. Likewise, upgrading 100 eligible upper primary schools to high schools and 50 high schools to pre-university colleges will significantly enhance enrolment in secondary and PU education, particularly benefiting girls.
Rs 725 crore has been allocated for additional classrooms, toilets and repair works, while another Rs 50 crore for essential school furniture. This will help improve infrastructure to some extent.
Rs 46 crore for modern kitchens and utensils under the mid-day meal programme is a welcome step. The decision to upgrade 50 higher primary schools into Karnataka Public Schools at Rs 200 crore in Kalyana Karnataka is a significant move towards reducing regional disparities.
The decision to fill 5,267 vacant teacher posts in the Kalyana Karnataka region, along with deploying another 5,000 teachers through rationalisation and reorganisation is a significant step towards ensuring quality education. Additionally, the expansion of pre-primary education to 5,000 government schools will further strengthen the public education system and boost enrolment.
Overall, the budget allocates a substantial share to strengthen public education despite financial constraints. It is now the responsibility of the education department to take concrete steps to ensure effective utilisation of funds to enhance the public education system.