Even though Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area – making up almost half of the country – its educational future seems to be bleak. Despite calling it the largest province, the governments, whether provincial or federal, have largely overlooked and ignored it. Remember, if we do not provide quality education to half of Pakistan, it means half of Pakistan, which is Balochistan, will remain uneducated. As for the current provincial government of Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, they only make tall claims, and only focus on the educational issues of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, leaving the other 31 districts of the province in the lurch. Just as a publicity stunt, the statements of Balochistan’s Chief Minister appear in the newspapers on a daily basis, but practically he and his government has so far not been able to do anything substantial related to education for the province. Therefore, to this day, 1.5 million children are not going to schools in Balochistan.  

Though government schools are present across the province, these schools in rural areas have either turned or are turning into ‘ghost schools’. The reason: Firstly, teachers of schools are mostly based in Quetta; they do not bother to take classes in the rural areas of Balochistan, as they receive their salaries while sitting at home. Very pathetically, they don’t even know the position they are posted to. Secondly, there is no check and balance by the government, because mostly teachers are party workers of Balochistan’s political parties. And if a district education officer takes action against such fugitive teachers, they resort to holding demonstrations against their “illegal demands”. Therefore, when teachers do not go to take classes, students have to quit their schools and work somewhere.

In recent months, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch vowed he would end the culture of cheating in the Balochistan. But he failed to do so. Why? Because only setting up cameras in the examination halls is not the remedy of cheating. You have to come up with a proper plan. When you appoint teachers and take strict action against “fugitive” teachers, it can bring changes, and students will be able to read and write. And it is pertinent to say here that when students are taught honestly and punctually, they need not cheat. Instead, teachers themselves protest over petty issues and carry out rallies across the province, and students have to bear the brunt of it.

Unfortunately, there are reports of teachers getting appointed in the province on the basis of favoritism and nepotism. So, what can they teach? Definitely, they are the ones who are destroying the future of the builders of the nation. In contemporary times, students want to get education, which is their fundamental right. But the question arises: are we providing them this fundamental right? For providing the students their fundamental right, teachers need to be qualified and educated, so that they can give them proper education.       

Due to a lack or non-availability of teachers in government-run schools, it is reported that parents prefer to send their children to privately-run schools despite the fact that the owners of the privately-run schools take huge fees from students, and their teachers are inexperienced, too. This blogger was also that sometimes teachers who have not even passed their graduation teach in private schools. Exceptionally, in Balochistan’s secular Makran division, which consists of Kech, Panjgur and Gwadar districts, the privately-run schools did cater good education to both girls and boys. But those schools were threatened or attacked by religious fundamentalists for running co-education schools, which, according to them, was prohibited. Due to this unpleasant development, many privately-run schools remained shut for months. This increased the illiteracy rate in Makran division tremendously, which used to be higher in the past.

Lastly, it is the responsibility of Balochistan’s first middle-class Chief Minister, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, and his government to endeavor for the purpose of improving the state of education in Balochistan, which is abysmal. Therefore, it is high time that he and his government took steps for the betterment of education. According to media reports, those who are involved in corruption in the education department, are to be brought to the book by him.