Education Resource Allocation

💰 🧮 💸 🎓 A common refrain I hear when talking to college and university trustees: budgets in higher ed are unlike anything in the business world. How colleges make and spend money remains mysterious even to those who've spent their careers in higher education. That's why in the latest installment of the Higher Ed 101 series on the Future U Podcast, Michael Horn and I took a deep dive into college budgeting with Rick Staisloff, a former college CFO and founder of RPK Group. Whether you're a board member, college professor, or tuition-paying parent, this episode offers valuable insights into college budgeting—what works and what doesn't. My three takeaways: 1️⃣ College budget buckets are too large. Most institutions don't really know where they're making money or where they're spending it. "We have to get into unit cost to really understand the financial health of an institution," Staisloff told us. Most colleges don't know how much it costs to graduate a biology major versus an English major, for instance. When enrollment was growing and public funding flowed freely, this approach probably wasn't fiscally responsible but it functioned. Now, when institutions need to be strategic, leaders need greater insight into resource allocation—otherwise they're moving pennies instead of dollars. In other words: show me where you spend your money, and I'll show you what you value. 2️⃣ The lack of transparency leads to lack of accountability. While colleges might set enrollment goals, their leaders often don't know what financial targets they should be hitting. "I'm always struck at the institutions we work with at how seldom deans, chairs, budget unit heads are given a clear sense of what good looks like and what they're supposed to be achieving," Staisloff explained. 3️⃣ It's business intelligence, stupid. My biggest takeaway: how little higher ed leaders know about their business. Part of this is cultural—campuses resist discussing ROI of individual programs. Part is technological—colleges have underinvested in ERP systems, leaving them flying blind in financial forecasting. This becomes increasingly problematic as we face an enrollment cliff and federal funding uncertainty. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/e8zV_PSy 📺 Watch highlights of this episode as well as select full episodes on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/dRRBvpiR I'm biased, but this episode should be required listening for new board members:

Imagine this: Over the last two decades, the number of administrators in U.S. public schools has grown nearly 10 times faster than the number of teachers. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a seismic shift in how education is structured. While the number of students has increased by 7.6% and teacher growth hovers around 8.7%, the growth in administrators has skyrocketed to 87.6%. (According to this article: https://lnkd.in/eDNCBvmy) This trend raises critical questions: Is the education system serving students and teachers, or is it increasingly feeding an ever-expanding bureaucracy? This isn’t an indictment of all administrators—some are essential for navigating complex systems and improving outcomes. But the scale of this growth, paired with stagnant teacher support, suggests misaligned priorities. Special education teachers, for instance, often spend more time on paperwork than they do with their students—a cost that comes at the expense of real learning. As we think about how to improve education, let’s ask: Are we managing schools to teach students, or are we overmanaging them into inefficiency? Shifting resources back to classrooms could be the key to re-centering education where it belongs—on the students and teachers who make learning happen. #EducationMatters #TeacherSupport #FixEducation #EducationReform #StudentFirst

Union Budget 2024-25: Transformative Impacts on Higher Education Institutions My expectations from the Union Budget 2024-25 were published in the media, and you can read them https://lnkd.in/dftyS4Wq Let me now give a few insights from the Budget 2024 related to the higher education sector. The Union Budget 2024-25 has unveiled several key measures that will significantly influence the landscape of higher education in India. With a total education allocation of ₹1.48 lakh crore, the budget aims to enhance the accessibility and quality of higher education. The provision of higher education loans up to ₹10 lakh with a 3% interest subvention will make higher education more affordable, reducing the financial burden on students and their families. Additionally, the significant increase in research funding to ₹355 crore, a 69% rise, will provide a much-needed boost to research initiatives across higher education institutions (HEIs). The plan to provide internships for 1 crore youth in 500 top companies over the next five years presents an excellent opportunity for HEIs to strengthen their ties with industry, helping bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, and enhancing employability. Moreover, the new skilling scheme targeting 20 lakh youth over five years and the Model Skill Loan Scheme offering up to ₹7.5 lakh for 25,000 students per year align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The focus on digital infrastructure and skills further underscores the government’s commitment to preparing students for the digital age. However, the significant reduction in the University Grants Commission (UGC) allocation by 53% to ₹2,500 crore poses a potential challenge for HEIs that rely on UGC grants. Institutions will need to strategically manage this funding cut to ensure continuity in their programs and initiatives, necessitating a careful re-evaluation of funding strategies and resource allocation to maintain the quality of education and research. The emphasis on vocational training and skill development also calls for a strategic realignment of curricula within HEIs. At Symbiosis International University, we are committed to adapting and thriving in this evolving landscape. By fostering industry partnerships, enhancing research capabilities, and focusing on skill development, we always provide our students with a comprehensive education that prepares them for the future. While the Union Budget 2024-25 brings several opportunities for enhancing higher education, it also presents challenges that require careful strategic planning. We will leverage new initiatives effectively while managing potential funding constraints to continue our mission of delivering excellence in education. #budget2024 #SIU #symbiosis

As the MoE celebrates its ‘Education Week’ (Shiksha Saptah), and has received an increase in the budget allocation, the focus has to be not just on components useful for children (e.g. TLM) but ‘SYSTEMS THAT WORK FOR CHILDREN’. Key aspects include the following: 1.    Ensure that teachers are appointed, admin personnel are appointed, and there are no vacancies in CRCs, BRCs, DIETs, SCERTs, SPOs, Departments and Ministries. At present, it is common to find DIETs with over 40% posts unfilled, and there are still tens of thousands of single-teacher schools. 2.    Ensure that staff is actually available at school during the designated time and teachers are not withdrawn for non-academic duties or caught in filling (repetitive) data. 3.    Ensure that there is sufficient time within the year to spend the budget allocated, by making it available in good time (there’s been improvement in this but more is needed) 4.    Focus on hardcore teaching and learning instead of events that are good for photo ops but detract from children’s learning time 5.    Begin making USE of the data we already have. For instance, an analysis of U-DISE data can already show us which districts are likely to fare poorly in NAS (try it out!) – work to enable a shift such that those collecting the data also get to understand what it shows and are empowered to deliver what is required. 6.    De-centralise! Not everything can be decided at the state headquarters, least of all what should be taught on a given day. Such a one-size-fits-all approach hampers contextual implementation, reduces motivation and ownership, leading to poor results. 7.    Involve the community as a knowledge partner (not just as a management partner). Given the climate-induced irregularity of school, progress will depend on the extent to which this partnership evolves. Respect and capacitate the community for this to happen. 8.    Stop believing that technology will rescue us. It isn’t, and it won’t. What will help us get out of our hugely underperforming status is a genuinely improved set of relationships. All educational leaders at all levels can play a really strong role here.

Schools Must Stop Ignoring Financial Waste Public schools face financial reckoning. Districts are cutting teachers and slashing student programs as costs rise. For too long, school finance has been viewed as a policy—rather than a management—problem. When funds run low, districts’ default is: ask for more money or make painful cuts. But what if the issue isn’t just funding levels—but how they manage what they already have?   School districts own valuable assets, including real estate: gyms, auditoriums, athletic fields, cafeterias, and so on. These are public assets that must be strategically managed to generate revenue, cover costs, and provide fair, transparent access to community organizations.   In most districts, that management is lacking. Most districts don’t understand the true cost of facility use, so they waive rental fees for outside organizations. Others allow groups—often nonprofits—to use facilities at deeply discounted rates, even when they charge fees for their events. That’s not only lost revenue—it’s the financial drain of subsidizing facility use that districts can’t afford.   Would any other public agency—think: city, park district, etc.—offer taxpayer-funded buildings for free, without documentation? Of course not. But in many public schools, that’s standard operating procedure.   Facility use is not the only area lacking financial discipline. Many districts fail to conduct cost analyses to align fees and expenses, leading to underfunded programs or misplaced budget priorities. Others are reactive, letting a financial crisis spur action. The result: School districts that have hundreds of millions of dollars in assets are forced to cut essential student services because they lack financial controls. When a district waives rental fees, fails to track facility use, or approves expenses without accountability, they may seem like small decisions. But they add up, until taxpayers pay the financial consequences.   This doesn’t mean public schools should run like corporations, or suggest schools should prioritize revenue over academics. Fiscal discipline isn’t the opposite of good education—it’s essential to funding it. School districts simply must become responsible financial stewards of public funds, including: ·Tracking how assets are used to ensure facility rental policies are fair, transparent, and cost-conscious. · Ending unexamined fee-waivers that subsidize some organizations while shutting others out. ·Embracing stronger financial accountability to ensure resources are allocated efficiently.   School districts can’t afford to keep operating on a cycle of financial crisis and reactionary cuts. If leaders don’t take control of their budgets now, endless shortfalls, declining services, and eroded public trust is their future. It’s not a policy debate—it’s a management imperative. If public education is going to survive the financial pressures of the next decade, it’s time for administrators to internalize and act on that. 

Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has repeatedly emphasised that technology must reach the last mile and uplift the most marginalised. This principle must guide how India integrates artificial intelligence into higher education. #AI is already reshaping teaching, assessment, curriculum design, and university governance. If deployed wisely, it can become a powerful instrument for rural empowerment, bridging faculty shortages in small towns, supporting first-generation learners, enabling personalised learning in regional contexts, and expanding access to quality academic resources beyond metropolitan centres. For rural India, this is not merely a technological opportunity; it is a structural correction. AI can help democratise knowledge, reduce geographic disadvantage, and bring academic equity where infrastructure and human resources remain constrained. But inclusion does not happen automatically. Without thoughtful policy, AI risks reinforcing existing divides. Data privacy, unequal connectivity, algorithmic bias, and commercial exploitation of vulnerable learners are real concerns. Policy must therefore shape the ecosystem before technology scales it. India now needs strong national frameworks for ethical AI in education, rural-first digital infrastructure, faculty capacity-building, and public–private partnerships that prioritise social impact over commercial convenience. At Shobhit University, we consciously view AI through this larger national lens, using technology to strengthen learning outcomes, empower teachers, and expand meaningful access for students from rural and semi-urban backgrounds. The future of Indian higher education will not be defined by how advanced our technologies become, but by whether they genuinely serve those who need them most. That is the real pathway to Viksit Bharat. #RuralEmpowerment #EducationPolicy #ArtificialIntelligence #HigherEducation #ViksitBharat #EducationWithPurpose #ShobhitUniversity #EducationEmpowers #KunwarShekharVijendra ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) Dharmendra Pradhan

In this new episode, Prof. Brahm Fleisch discusses how local context is important in setting. For example, in Nguni languages like isiZulu and Siswati, children can read as few as 40 words per minute and still comprehend a text because the words tend to be longer and more complex. In contrast, in Sotho-Tswana languages such as Sepedi and Setswana—with shorter words—learners typically need to read at least 65 words per minute to understand what they’re reading. This demonstrates that applying international reading benchmarks without considering local language structures can be both misleading and counterproductive. As more evidence emerges, it’s essential to maintain the structure of international standards while thoughtfully adapting them to reflect the realities of local languages and learning contexts. Listen to this insight and more on foundational learning on the learning changes everything podcast! https://shorturl.at/CsKe0 #Education #FoundationalLearning #ReadingOutcomes #EarlyGradeReading #LanguageMatters #EducationReformreading benchmarks.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how education connects to economic opportunity. Across the country (and the world), communities are reimagining education—not as something that happens in isolation, but as part of a bigger ecosystem that includes businesses, workforce development, and lifelong learning. https://bit.ly/42uqm40 Across the globe, regions are transforming education into an economic engine, aligning schools, businesses, and communities to drive shared prosperity. Regional talent hubs are emerging as drivers of economic development, a nascent dynamic observed several years ago that will likely continue to accelerate in 2025 and years ahead. Regional alliances, solutions, and strategies can address local challenges while boosting global competitiveness, strengthening economic resilience, and fomenting long-term prosperity. In these regional strategies, state and local governments work hand-in-hand with business and industry leaders to build strong partnerships. Together, they work to harmonize regulatory frameworks and workforce requirements, align curriculum, and recognize teacher qualifications across borders. These initiatives reduce labor shortages, enable teacher exchanges, and enhance workforce readiness. For example, regional professional development networks and institutional capacity-building programs have improved education outcomes in emerging economies, creating skilled local talent pools and reducing reliance on attracting skilled workers from elsewhere. The emergence of regional talent hubs, tailored to local industries and strengths, ensures systems can specialize while collaborating. This cooperation mitigates skill shortages and fosters economic resilience on a local and state level. Technology plays a critical role, enabling blended learning that combines local classroom teaching with expertise from regional hubs. By leveraging shared resources, these models benefit an array of geographies from urban to rural, and lower costs, especially important for resource-constrained areas, while ensuring students gain globally relevant skills. In 2025, the question is how to build systems where all sectors move forward together while honoring unique local contexts. Education will need to lead the way, powering economies and creating opportunities for all. What’s happening in your community that gives you hope?

Every year, the GOI education budget sees a percentage increase, and headlines celebrate it as a victory. But... 📉 India’s education spending is still far below the NEP 2020 recommendation of 6% of GDP. This year’s allocation is just 0.36% of GDP at the national level—hardly the systemic investment we need. ✍ Most of the increased funding is absorbed by routine costs, not transformative reforms. Yes, Samagra Shiksha saw an 11% rise, and PM POSHAN grew by 25%, but where’s the long-term vision for teacher training, school infrastructure, or learning embedded within the budget? ⏳ Delayed fund releases continue to choke impact. States struggle to access central funds due to procedural bottlenecks, with implementation often lagging behind budget announcements. The Samagra Shiksha scheme saw high utilisation rates post-pandemic, but delays in fund release slowed impact. Similarly, only 51% of PM POSHAN’s allocation for FY 24-25 had been released as of February 2025. Incremental budget increases will not solve the crisis when structural issues persist. For effective education reform, we need to move beyond percentage hikes and focus on spending efficiency, investment on teachers, and outcome - driven policies. More money isn’t the solution - smarter, timely, and need-based investment is. How might we shift the focus from just budget allocation numbers to a deeper impact on what these allocations will truly impact the today and tomorrow of our country's education system? #EducationReform #Budget2025 #FundTheFuture Note: Data from the FRG Insights and GOI Budget 2025

📈 Using Local Data for Tailored Education Solutions in #Africa 🌍 One standout insight from UNICEF’s research across 33 African countries is the importance of using local education data to shape impactful policies and decisions. For example, what will work to address specific challenges like student-teacher ratios, access to school resources, or gender equity varies greatly by context. Data-driven approaches help identify priorities and allocate resources where they are needed most, ensuring that interventions are both equitable and effective. Want to learn more about how data and context-specific strategies are transforming education in Africa? Check out the full brief here: https://lnkd.in/dbN9pvkx How can local data help inform education in your region? Share your thoughts below! 💬 Laila Gad Tomoko Shibuya Wongani Grace Taulo Renaud Comba Linda Jones Jessica Bergmann Sonakshi Sharma