Union Budget 2018: What's In Store For Education?

With the Union Budget 2018 being presented in February, the education sector is waiting eagerly to hear from Mr. Arun Jaitley if the education sector would be aligned to the latest education systems of twenty-first century. In 2017 budget Mr. Jaitley made a statement that imparting the right educational skills and job creation will be one of the nine pillars of our nation. The Indian education system has not been upgraded technologically. There is a huge need for investment in the 21-century learning system and polishing the skills of the youth of our country to be market ready. The smart classroom concept is not yet in place and the teachers are still following the conventional methods of teaching. The focus this year should be on aligning our education system to the corporate world.

Spending on “Learning Outcomes”
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been our Indian government’s pet project last year and it has achieved 100% enrollments. The focus has to shift on learning outcomes. This year there is an expectation that the government would spend on “learning outcomes”. Learning Outcomes is a practice that aims at monitoring a student’s performance and development periodically. There is a need for a strong assessment model which has to be formalized by the government.