Ground reality: Balochistan CM calls cheating biggest issue

Abdul Malik says federal government wants to have control over the curriculum, despite 18th Amendment

QUETTA:

Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said his government would remove flaws in educational curriculum of Balochistan and make it in accordance with the ground reality and authentic political and cultural history of the province.

The chief minister termed cheating a major challenge in the province and said his government is planning to use technology to end the menace of cheating in examinations.



He was answering questions of youth participants of a conference in Quetta organised by Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP). Students and young graduates from different walks of life posed tough questions regarding the education system and highlighted its flaws. Dr Baloch and his panel comprising Information Minister Rahim Ziaratwal and MPA Yasmeen Lehri were criticised over the dual education system and favoritism for admissions at reputed universities and colleges. The theme of the conference was the role of youth in Balochistan in producing best leadership and its importance. “Despite the devolution after the 18th Amendment, federal government wants to have control over the curriculum of Balochistan. We are fighting to keep the subject with province,” the chief minister said while responding to a question of a student of University of Balochistan who had highlighted the flaws in Balochistan’s curriculum related to Baloch history. The student said they are being taught wrong history with no mention of historical personalities of Balochistan’s centuries-old civilisation.

“They, the federal government, want to snatch back the subject but we are resisting the federal government’s move,” Dr Baloch said. “We will improve the curriculum and make it flawless. Several Baloch intellectuals are working on it.”

Dozens of young women attended the conference where the issue of cheating at examination halls and discrimination at educational institutions were highlighted. “The teachers were asking for Rs200 from students at exam halls in a college in Quetta during my masters examination,” one of them told the chief minister. The hall echoed with clapping of the students. “We are not ignorant of anything. Education is important and our government believes that better education is the only option to compete the world,” CM said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2014.