Kathmandu, May 29 The government has earmarked Rs 26.25 billion in the budget for fiscal year 2016/17 with the aim of improving children’s access to quality education. “In order to expand children’s access to school, improve the quality of teaching and learning activities, and make administrative structures accountable and transparent, the school sector development programme will be implemented in the next fiscal. Basic education will be made compulsory and free whereas secondary education will also be made free gradually,” read the budget speech delivered by Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel yesterday. The government has also allocated budget to ensure that children of disadvantaged groups continue their education. “Special campaigns will be launched to enrol out-of-school children and to cause the dropouts to resume education,” said the fiscal budget. Necessary budget has also been allocated for a programme to identify teenagers who have never gone to school and encourage them to join school.