'More importance for secondary education'

Tiruchirapalli, Jan 8: More importance would be given forsecondary education in the 11th plan, planning commission member ProfAbhijit Sen said.

In an informal chat with reporters here last night, Dr Sen saidsimilarly, there would be significant rise in spending for highereducation too. Though the allocation for both secondary and highereducation had not been finalised yet, the Planning Commission wouldgive the same attention at par with elementary education and at leasttwo-thirds of funds would be utilised for secondary and highereducation, he said.

To a query, Prof Sen said he was against the goal of utilising sixper cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for education over the years,as the actual expenditure was a little more than one-third of theallocation for education in the budget.

On the country's economic growth, he said the current pace wassustainable and inflation now at four to five per cent was normal.

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