The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations (UN) agency dedicated to the welfare of children, has shed light on the dire state of public schools in Balochistan. A UNICEF delegation recently convened with the caretaker provincial education minister in Quetta to present a comprehensive overview of the education sector in the region.
According to the UNICEF report, a staggering 4,000 schools in Balochistan are devoid of basic toilet facilities, and the issue is particularly pronounced in girls’ schools. Shockingly, the report highlights that a single teacher is responsible for 6,700 schools in Balochistan.
This severe shortage of both facilities and educators is severely impeding the quality of education in the region, leaving countless students with inadequate learning opportunities.
The caretaker provincial education minister expressed concerns about the daunting challenges they face. With approximately 400 teachers retiring each month, the slow pace of recruitment exacerbates the problem.
To address this, 11 out of the 36 districts have initiated efforts to hire dependents on a quota basis, while 150 primary schools are currently undergoing transformations under the 100-day plan to elevate their status to middle schools.
UNICEF’s report has brought to light the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in Balochistan’s education sector to ensure that every child has access to quality education and essential facilities for their development.
