Balochistan govt sets school enrolment target

Education Department decide to launch a school admission campaign across the province

QUETTA: The Balochistan Education Department has decided to launch a school admission campaign across the province with the support of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the American Refugee Committee (ARC) and to hold meetings with parents and organise seminars in this regard.

Addressing a joint press conference on Tuesday, Members of Provincial Assembly Nasrullah Zeeray and Ahmed Nawaz, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Excise and Taxation Malik Naeem Bazai, Quetta District Education Officer Akhtar Kethran and representatives of the provincial education department vowed to start the new educational year in the province with the utmost spirit and fervour. They said they had set a target to enrol 28,136 more children in Balochistan following the start of the new academic year on March 1. They also said awareness campaigns would be organised to foster an educational environment in Balochistan.

MPA Nasrullah Zeeray said the opposition members were ready to support the provincial government for promoting education, adding that his Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) would never support temporary appointment of teachers as it wanted them to be appointed on a permanent basis.

Balochistan National Party MPA Ahmed Nawaz Baloch, who represents Saryab in the assembly, promised to pay surprise visits to all government schools in his constituency on a weekly basis. He also lamented the lack of facilities for students during the secondary school exams.

Adviser Naeem Bazai said there were clear instructions from the chief minister to keep a close eye on educational institutions in all constituencies in the province.