Kolwah located in the district of Kech has a sizeable population including hundreds of children and teenagers. Like most cities of Balochistan, Kolwah also suffers from a lack of basic facilities including poor educational facilities in the area. Even though there are many school buildings in the city, most of these are non-functional.
A major problem across schools in Balochistan is teacher absenteeism and administrative negligence. Officials responsible for overlooking the school and college affairs do not fulfil their duties of recruiting staff and monitoring academic activities. Resultantly, many teaching positions have been lying vacant for years now. In smaller villages, primary schools are not operational either. The school and college buildings are rarely refurbished and are in frail conditions, particularly those in flood-affected areas. Basic resources such as furniture, electricity, and sanitation are largely unavailable. The curriculum used in most schools is outdated, which means that most students have little to no knowledge of modern concepts and emerging technologies. Due to this, students from the province experience difficulties in board and university entrance exams.
The provincial government and district authorities need to take the matter in earnest and reform schools and colleges across the province. District authorities should visit Kolwah to see the poor state of schools for themselves. The relevant departments should be directed to complete the recruitment process for faculty and ensure that the funds allocated for the institutes are not misused. The authorities must assume responsibility and avoid hampering the future of thousands of students.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2023.
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