Dipu Moni: Education budget should increase to GDP’s 6% in future

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni onThursday said the current size of the education budget is three percent of the total gross domestic product (GDP). But it should be increased to six percent in the future.

“Our total education budget is now three percent of the total GDP, but we have to increase it up to six percent”, she said while addressing the inaugural function of the 65th Science Fair at ST-Joseph Higher Secondary School in the city’s Mohammadpur area.

Once the ongoing mega projects are being implemented, the education will be the country’s largest mega project, she added.

Noting that the current education budget is much more than the total national budget of 2006, Dr Dipu Moni said, “We are making huge investment in the education sector and will have to invest more in future”.

Speaking about the new curriculum, she said under the new curriculum, the teachers will work as guides to offer enjoyable education to the students.

Since Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had worked hard for advanced education, the minister said, his (Bangabandhu) daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is playing a vital role for more advancement of the country’s education sector.

Under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister, she said, the country witnessed a tremendous success in different fields, including education, food, communication, agriculture, health, science and women empowerment.

Urging the students to practice science, Dipu Moni said science is the inseparable part of life and no one can go outside of it.

Presided over by ST-Joseph Higher Secondary School Principal Dr Brother Subal Lawrence Rozario, Scientists Dr Senjuti Saha, co-founder Shahir Chowdhury, Notre Dame University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Patrick Gaffney, Vice Principal of ST-Joseph Higher Secondary School Victor Bikash Rozario Chief Moderator of Scientilla Science Club Swapan Kumar Mistry and Rev Uttam Halder also spoke, among others.

The minister later visited various stalls of the science fair.