The Minister of Education and Human Resources, Ms Lannelle Tanangada, told Parliament last week that the development budget for the education infrastructure in the country had declined over the years and with the increase in population growth, year on year, the allocation for the education infrastructure must be a high priority.
The Minister reportedly told Parliament, and I quote.
Population growth has become an overarching factor that all sectors of the government need to address.
“The allocation of only $4,750,000 for the education infrastructure is not adequate to support the required additional infrastructure development of schools in order to accommodate the country’s population growth.”
“The MEHRD senior management team has discussed this with the Ministry of Finance and Treasury and Ministry of National Planning and Development officials and a general consensus has been reached, to gradually increase the development budget provided to MEHRD,” she said.
To accommodate the additional places especially at the senior secondary school level, her ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, and the Ministry of National Planning and Coordination is working on a senior secondary education expansion project proposal, to seek financial support from an international financial institution for Government considerations.
Subject to the interest and approval of government to invest in the education sector, a new project called Senior Secondary School Improvement Program will be designed and developed through support from the financial institution identified and to be completed around June/July this year,” she said.
End of quote.
Footnote.
In the meantime, the Ministry’s Development Budget (472) has increased from $24 million in 2020 to $34,750,000 this year.
This is an increase of 21.9% from $28,500,000 in 2020.
However, only $4,750,000 has been allocated for the education infrastructure (school infrastructure projects), while $30,000,000 is allocated to the Solomon Islands National University.
Due to budget cuts, the Ministry will implement school infrastructure projects with the budget made available.
Source. Island Sun newspaper
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
