Balochistan approves coeducation in primary schools

Education secretary Abdul Shakoor Kakar says the decision will be implemented from March

The Balochistan government has approved coeducation in primary schools of the province, said an official notification issued on Saturday.

According to the notification, issued by education secretary Abdul Shakoor Kakar, the decision will be implemented from March.

Boy and girl pupils will now be able to enrol in all primary schools together, it added.

The move is believed to be aimed at increasing literacy rate in the province where some 1.8 million children or 66% of the school-age population, majority of them girls, are out of schools.



According to the Provincial Education Commission, there are just 12,500 primary, secondary and high schools in Balochistan that encompass over 22,000 human settlements. Up to half the population has no access to schools.

Compounding the problem is the fact that out of 12,500 schools, 7,000 are those consisting of a little more than a single room with a single teacher.