Education system yields little for Balochistan’s children

By: Munaj Gul Muhammad

Balochistan is far behind as far as quality of education is concerned and a recent survey has revealed that the literacy rate in Balochistan is merely 33 percent. There are hundreds or thousands of ghost schools in the province and no one seems to heed the loss of the children and the government continues to neglect the issue.

The ghost teachers are a burden on the education system especially in rural areas of Balochistan. Most public schools are deprived of basic needs like; boundary walls, chairs, toilets, drinking water, electricity, school course books and even teachers in many cases. Although teachers are paid but they are hardly seen in schools. Part of the reason is the selection of such teachers, they are mostly selected on basis of political affiliation or other references rather than their qualification and educational achievements. As a result not only do the children of Balochistan suffer, but it is also the socioeconomic system of the province which is badly affected when the population is unable to contribute.

One of the reasons for continuously neglecting public schools is also because the elite groups, tribal and political leaders and anyone who can afford better education in the provincial capital, in other provinces or in any foreign country send their children far from the dungeons of public schools of Balochistan. They are only home to the deprived population of Balochistan, though such children are in bigger numbers but they are not the ones whose parents have the decisions in their hands. The poor do not make policies for their fundamental needs, they do not have any authority over their future.

There are other reasons too behind the failure of the education system in most parts of the province for instance; absence of course-books, basic needs and since most of our population is not well-informed, they hardly raise voice against the system.

 With the emergence of mega projects like CPEC (China Pakistan economic Corridor) which are expected to develop the region, the expectations of the population are high. Though not much has changed yet, schools that were without building are still standing without building, the ones without books and teachers are still without both, girls were more affected of illiteracy and they are still the affected and previously there has been cheating in exams and this issue still exits. Having said that, there is still a huge need to rethink about our education system and not just make policies to strengthen the education at all levels but there is a bigger need to implement those laws and policies to push real change.

Published in Balochistan Point on July 11, 2018