New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS): Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Saturday said the government was committed to providing quality education and planned to upgrade over 80,000 secondary schools in the country.

Presenting the Union Budget 2015-16 in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said educating and skilling the youth to enable them to get employment is the "altar before which we must all bow".

"To ensure that there is a senior secondary school within five km reach of each child, we need to upgrade over 80,000 secondary schools and add or upgrade 75,000 junior and middle schools to the senior secondary level," Jaitley said.

"We also have to ensure that the education improves in terms of quality and learning outcomes," he said.

Jaitley said that good health was a necessity for both quality of life, and a person's productivity and ability to support his or her family.

"Providing medical services in each village and city is absolutely essential," he said.