Abdul Ghaffar Bugti
Nearly half of Balochistan’s population consists of children, with a total number of 7.231 million. Out of these, 3 million (41%) children are deprived of basic education, which poses a serious threat to the future of the province. There are 15,096 registered schools in the province, but 22% (3,321) of them are completely closed, while 50% (7,548) schools consist of only one room. Even more concerning is the fact that 81% (12,228) schools are limited to the primary level, making access to middle-level education difficult.
The total number of teachers in the province is 48,841, but there is an immediate need for 12,000 additional teachers. Moreover, 7,000 teachers (15%) are directly or indirectly posted in Quetta, which further reduces educational facilities in remote areas. Female teachers make up only 25% (12,210) of the total, and 80% (9,768) of them are concentrated in Quetta. This imbalance is a major reason for the severe shortage of girls’ schools in rural areas.
3,000 schools lack proper buildings or roofs, where educational activities are suspended due to rain or bad weather. 7,500 (75%) schools consist of only one room, while in 22 out of 35 districts , more than half of the schools are limited to one or two rooms. This situation is severely affecting the quality of education.
According to government tests, only 26% of primary-level children can read basic sentences, and only 30% of them understand basic mathematical operations (such as addition/subtraction). Out of 400,000 children, only 133,000 meet the educational standards. Unfortunately, 70% of children drop out after primary school, and only 35% reach high school. Due to the prevalence of cheating in high schools, only 1%of children make it to university.
Balochistan’s education budget is 87 billion rupees, but developmental expenditures are only 12 billion rupees. The province’s literacy rate is 27%, but 7,000 educated youth leave Balochistan every year in search of employment. Over the past 5 years, 31,607 individuals have migrated because the provincial government provides only 20,000 jobs annually, out of which 5,000 are not even for educated individuals.
Reviving the education system in Balochistan can not only eliminate extremism but also address issues of employment, health, and economic instability. For this, it is essential to restore schools, balance teacher postings, focus on girls’ education, and link employment projects with education.
