Quetta: Nearly 3,500 schools in the past two months facing closure due to a critical lack of teachers, as noted by caretaker Balochistan Education Minister Abdul Qadir Bakhsh Baloch.
“The provincial Education Department has been facing an acute shortage of teachers. Due to political and departmental constraints, the department has not been able to recruit teachers since 2019. Moreover, over 300 teachers are retiring every month,” he explained.
“Without enrolling children in schools, it is impossible to increase the literacy rate in the province,” Bakhsh emphasized.
The minister disclosed the provincial government’s decision to elevate 150 primary schools to middle schools, four in each district, as a remedial measure.
Regarding last year’s devastating flood, Bakhsh highlighted the destruction of over 5,500 schools in the province, with a mere 50 having undergone repairs so far. “The international organizations have assured their all-out support to repair the damaged schools,” he added.
The government’s plan to establish a model school aimed at advancing education in the province was also mentioned by the minister.
Official data reveals staggering figures: approximately 0.8 million school-going children in the province are out of school, and around 1,964 schools lack proper buildings. Half of Balochistan’s total 12,000 primary schools operate with just one teacher, while a large number suffer from basic deficiencies – 11,000 schools lack electricity, 10,000 lack water access, and 1,800 lack adequate washroom facilities.
“More than 80% of the budget of the Education Department is spent on the salaries of teachers and other employees,” emphasized the minister.
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