WB-aided project boosts school enrolment

QUETTA: Over 40,000 out-of-school children have been enrolled with 725 primary schools set up and revived across the province as part of the Balochistan Education Project (BEP), the project director Ghulam Mustafa informed a ceremony in Islamabad on Friday.

World Bank representative Yuan Haren, who attended the ceremony, lauded the impact of the project while calling it a gateway for investment in the provincial education sector.

He said that the World Bank was providing assistance to the provincial government in order to revamp provincial educational structure of which the project was a part.

“The government of Balochistan and the people associated with the BEF have made major accomplishments in line with the goals of the specific project and it will change the educational landscape in the province,” Haren said, while assuring of further grants by the multilateral donor for educational development.

While addressing the ceremony, BEP Director Ghulam Mustafa informed the ceremony regarding accomplishments of the project as part of the provincial government’s five-year education sector plan for 2013-18.



“725 primary schools with facilities have been established in the province particularly in remote corners of Balochistan, with 40,000 out-of-schools children are being educated with quality educational environment,” the director said, adding that dozens of model and high schools have been upgraded.

“More than 800 dilapidated buildings of government schools have been refurnished under the project.” He said.

Asfandyar Kakar said, the project’s former director, said the BEP was providing a pivotal role in combating illiteracy in Balochistan. “We are glad that we started this project back in 2015 and it is continuing to make impact.”