A much noticed aspect of this year’s budgetary proposals has been the 1% increase in education cess. After the initial dismay, the grumbling has stayed muted.

For there is all round agreement in that health and education have long since been neglected and pumping money into these areas is vital in the long term interest of the country. Most of us also concede that the section of the population now riding the economic boom, must pitch in and make the revolution happen in the government schools.

But the question on everyone’s mind is, how is the money being spent? And when will we get to see the difference?

Earlier on, in the budget of 2004-2005, to give a boost to primary education in the country, the finance minister Mr Chidambaram had levied an education cess of two per cent on income tax, corporation tax, etc.

The minister had then said that the entire amount was earmarked for the Sarva Shiksh Abhiyan programme aimed at bringing all children inside schools. As a corollary, provision of nutritious cooked mid-day meal was one of the areas where the money was to be spent.

In his budget speech of 2007, Mr Chidambaram has said that thanks to the programme of education for all, the enrolment rate in schools was now 96%. But the drop out rate was still high.

Outlining the reasons for the additional 1% cess in the new budget the finance minister said that it had been introduced to fund secondary and higher education as more students were now completing upper primary classes and moving up.

But what does not make sense is the report that Centre has spent only 39% of the funds raised by the earlier education cess in the first eight months of 2006-07.

Why hasn’t the money collected from the public been utilised?

Apparently, the ‘problem’ is in that education is now a concurrent subject. That is, even though the guidelines and fund allocation come from the centre, the implementation is to be done by the States. With party politics and red tape overshadowing policies, there is little surprise that the bulk of the funds have remained locked up. There is little doubt that things would change in the coming years.

And that is a great tragedy because time is running out for the children of today. Especially for those children in government schools who would drop out of school after class VII. The exit would mark the end of their student days and education. So whatever the government intends to do to extend the student days of these children, must be done now.

Midday meals may be effective in getting young children into school but to retain the older children, the school has to have other attractions. The most important of these is a good school building with all the facilities needed for high school education. Students may not know the difference between low quality and high quality education.

But anyone can tell a low end school from a high end one by just looking at it.  And no adolescent from a disadvantaged background would drop out if his school looked as impressive as those of the rich kids. There would a certain prestige attached to being a student there.

I suggest that the funds collected through the new surcharge go entirely towards construction of first rate buildings for government secondary schools, all over the country. The schools must have adequate provision for drinking water and sanitation, playground, laboratory, library etc. besides adequate number of spacious, well ventilated class rooms.

The State government must provide the land and make sure that at least one such school exists in every 3 kilometre radius.

This is certainly not a tall order. All over the country the Kendriya Vidyalayas uniformly have the best infrastructure. Children in these schools feel a tremendous sense of dignity and feel confident when they enter the gates. Surely the ‘state’ students too deserve a similar privilege.