News

$432.2m allocated for Education

November 5, 2015 10:48 pm

The Ministry of Education has been allocated a sum of $432.2 million in its 2016 budget. This is an increase of $30.6 million from 2015.

Minister for Finance, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has confirmed 6.9 million dollars will be utilised to improve teachers to student’s ratios in primary schools therefore hiring 250 additional teachers with a base salaries of $16,610 dollars, while the upgrading of the 150 existing teachers will sit on a base salary of $23,411 dollars.

Sayed-Khaiyum says government will ensure it reached its goal of reducing the teacher to student ratio in primary schools to 1:40.

Article continues after advertisement

In recognizing the constitutional rights of children with special needs and the extra burden of the care and education, government has allocated a grant of 3.3 million dollars for all Special Primary Schools.

This is an increase of $565,000 from this year
Sayed-Khaiyum says this also includes an increase in grants for each child from $250-$500 per annum.

Importation of Special Equipment’s such as prosthetic, lenses hearing aids etc will exempt from VAT come 2016 to make it more affordable for the people who need them.

Another eight million dollars was set aside for the construction and upgrading of many special primary schools, while 7.9 million dollars has been allocated to increase allowances for teachers in areas identified as very remote.

For Literacy Program government has set aside 2 million dollars while an increase of 2.5 million dollars has been given for library services
Sayed-Khaiyum also announced the allocation budget of 19 million dollars to support the three technical schools established this year and the eight new onesto be established next year.

Government will also continue the free milk program come 2016 with an allocation of 3.6 million dollars