Education Ministry seek bt470 billion
The Education Ministry is seeking Bt470-billion for its operations in the 2012 fiscal year. This is Bt60 billion more than the initial budget plan.
"We have tried to keep the requested budget amount within the initial framework but there are many projects that we need to implement," Education Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul explained yesterday.
One of the projects was the One Tablet PC Per Child. He said this project would need Bt3.7 billion in the 2012 year. Of this, Bt700 million would be for the Office of Private Education Commission.
"But children in the private education sector will be given a choice. If they don't want tablet PCs from the state, they can choose something else from the list of items we are going to offer," Woravat said.
Previously, he said each tablet PC would range between Bt2,000 and Bt3,000 in price and Pathom-1 students would get the devices first.
Woravat said the request had already been given to the Budget Bureau, and it "may revise it down".
The Budget Bureau said the Basic Education Commission has requested Bt279.46 billion while the Vocational Education Commission has asked for Bt30.03 billion. The Higher Education Commission has sought Bt110.5 billion, the Education Council has requested Bt404 million, and the Ministry's Office of the Permanent Secretary has asked for Bt47.98 billion.
