Academics suggest increasing budget for vocational, technical education

Academics have suggested that budgetary allocation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) should be increased to create skilled human resources for boosting remittance earning, reports BSS.

"To boost up country's remittance inflow, Bangladeshis who want to go abroad as workers should be trained to enhance their skills before flying overseas," educationist Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique told BSS on Tuesday.

Terming the new budget as a pro-people one, he said the education sector was prioritised in the budgetary allocation though the government had to give a large amount of money as incentives and stimulus packages during Covid-19 pandemic period.

"But I think budgetary allocation should be increased in technical education and vocational education for providing training to youths for turning them as skilled manpower," Prof Arefin suggested.

Prof Arefin, also former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, said due to ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and rise of inflation, it has become evident for Bangladesh to increase budgetary allocation for technical education and training for expatriate workers.

If the expatriate workers go abroad as skilled manpower, they will be able to generate more income which will consequently increase country's overall remittance inflow, he said.

"Increasing remittance inflow has become vital to further boost the country's economy," he said.

Prof Arefin, chairman of the board of directors of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), said budgetary allocation has been increased in primary and mass education sector as well as secondary and higher education in the proposed national budget for FY 2022-23.

But technical and vocational education sector got less priority though amount of budgetary allocation has been increased for the sector, he mentioned.

"I hope that the lawmakers as well as the policymakers would consider the issue while discussing on budget in parliament for increasing allocation in vocational education and skill development training," he said.

DU Pro-VC (Academic) Dr ASM Maksud Kamal also emphasized on increasing allocation in vocational education and training for teachers for skill development.

Though the total budget in education sector has increased, some sectors including higher education and vocational education should get more allocation, said Kamal.

He said during the time of inflation, it was definitely a big challenge for the government to announce the budget keeping the inflation in control.

"However, the government did it very well . . . now, it's the turn to implement the budget," he added.

He also emphasized on increasing allocation for technical education saying, "What we need right now is nothing but developing skilled human resources and sending them abroad."

Professor Abdus Salam of DU education and research institute laid emphasize on increasing allocation for teachers' training, focusing on making up learning losses caused by the pandemic and special budget for blended education system.

"The government should increase budgetary allocation for education further to let the institutions make up the academic losses caused by Covid-19 pandemic as during the period educational institution were shut for a long time," said Prof Salam.

For introducing blended education system, teachers need to be trained enough along with logistic issues which require a big amount of budget, he said, adding, "The government should also focus on this while revising the budget."

The government has been working to introduce new national school curriculum but there were not enough budgetary allocation, he added.

Emphasizing on technical education, he said, "Due to the lack of skilled human resources we may lose our labor market abroad. So, budget for technical and vocational education and training for expatriate workers need to be increased."

On June 09, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed an allocation of Taka 81,448 crore for education sector in the national budget for 2022-23 fiscal year (FY), which was Taka 69,643 crore in the revised budget for FY 2021-22.

He allocated Taka 31,759 crore for primary and mass education, Taka 39,961 crore for secondary and higher secondary education and Taka 9,728 crore for Technical and Vocational and Madrasah education.