KARACHI:
Education develops a sense of discipline, integrity and prosperity among nations and plays a paramount role in the growth and development of any region. Unfortunately though, this does not hold true in case of Balochistan as many flaws can be found in the education system of the province. The education system in Balochistan has been a failure for a variety of reasons including poor infrastructure of schools, colleges and universities. The situation was further worsened by a lack of interest by the relevant authorities and provincial government.
Instead of merit, teachers are selected arbitrarily based on personal preferences and favours. Most teachers are not well-qualified or trained to teach students at different levels of learning. There is an absence of up-to-date coursebooks and other learning equipment because of which students in Balochistan are lagging far behind their counterparts in other provinces of the country. In rural areas, schools do not have facilities like proper premises and classrooms.
As of 2020, some 60-70% of the children in Balochistan are out of school. This number is feared to rise given the myriad problems and inadequacies in the education system of the province. Even the funds allocated annually have not reached the institutions. Considering that Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan and is home to the biggest economic project in the country, it is imperative that both federal and provincial governments take serious steps to reform the education system in the province. They must also initiate campaigns specifically for rural areas to draw more children towards education.
Muhammad Zarif
Turbat
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2021.
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