Budget allocation for school education may rise by up to 14 per cent in the fiscal year 2018-19 as the government plans to improve the quality of education and accelerate schemes such as mid-day meal and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, reports Mint.

“It will be much less than what the ministry had demanded, but higher than the previous year’s allocations in the range of 11-14 per cent” the daily quoted a government official as saying.

The hike in budgetary allocation is expected to benefit nearly 250 million students pursuing education across 1.5 million schools in India.

In the budget to be unveiled on 1 February, the last full budget before the 2019 general elections, mid-day meal scheme and right to education are likely to get higher allocations. Innovation in schools, mapping of learning outcomes and school assessments like the national assessment survey will be prioritised.

A plan to map the learning outcomes of students from district level upward is being currently worked out by The National Council for Education Research and Training. Once learning levels are mapped, the fund allocated under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan would be used to improve outcomes in districts that are lagging.

“By next financial year, the SSA may be spending around 40 per cent of its budget on improving quality of school learning,” another official said.

The government is also likely to allocate extra funds for setting up Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.