Education maintains budget dominance
Baboki Kayawe | Tuesday February 2, 2016 16:17
Presenting the budget yesterday, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo stated the bulk of this budget would go towards the implementation of the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP) launched last year.
“Through this initiative government is committed to ensure that issues of quality of education and skills mismatch are addressed,” he said.
The strategy also intends to reform and make vocational education and training attractive to learners.
Matambo explained that the budget for education would cover several areas.
“This substantial budget caters for, among others, teaching services’ wage bill, post-secondary bursaries, and subventions to the University of Botswana, other government funded tertiary institutions as well as increased enrollment for the Botswana International University of Science and Technology,” he said.
Moreover, it will also cater to provision for examination costs, maintenance of institutional facilities, food for secondary school students, and costs for the various education facilities. In the 2015/2016 financial year, the education ministry was allocated the biggest share of P10.31 billion constituting 28.1 percent of the budget.
“This demonstrates government’s commitment to increase education funding with a view to supporting human capital development,” he said at the time.