Education in Balochistan is facing a growing crisis, with nearly 2.94 million children in the province having never attended school, among them 1.41 million are boys and 1.53 million are girls.
There are 46,534 teachers across the province’s public schools 60% are men and 40% are women. And 15,270 government schools, including 12,286 primary, 1,606 middle, 1,202 high, and 176 higher secondary schools. These schools serve around 1.07 million students, including 595,522 boys and 478,010 girls. However, a lack of basic facilities and frequent teacher absences are making it difficult for children to learn.
Many of these teachers are regularly absent, where students miss classes and fall behind. In some cases, entire schools stop functioning when a teacher retires, transfers or leaves as there is often only one teacher per school, especially in rural areas of Balochistan.
Nearly 60% of primary schools are run by a single teacher. When that teacher is unavailable the school may close temporarily or stop operating altogether leaving children with no other options.
On the other hand, over 267,000 students enrolled but later left school pointing to persistent challenges in keeping children engaged and in class.
Many schools in Balochistan do not have even basic facilities such as clean drinking water, toilets, electricity or safe classrooms. Without these essentials, students struggle to learn in a comfortable or secure environment.
CONCLUSION:
The government of Balochistan should invest in better planning and data collection to track progress, identify gaps and allocate resources more effectively.
Education reforms must be long-term, with consistent political commitment, so that improvements are sustainable and every child in Balochistan has a chance at a better future through education.
Firstly, the government must ensure that all schools have basic facilities such as clean drinking water, functional toilets, electricity and safe classrooms. Without these essentials, students find it difficult to learn and many parents are reluctant to send their children, especially girls, to schools that lack proper infrastructure.
Secondly, the issue of teacher absences needs to be addressed. Strict monitoring systems (BIOMETRIC) should be put in place to track teacher attendance. Schools should have backup staff and offering better training especially in remote areas, can help improve teacher retention and performance.
Third, transport and access also play a major role. Many children in rural or mountainous areas cannot reach schools easily. Setting up more schools closer to villages or providing school transport can help increase attendance, particularly for girls who may face safety concerns traveling long distances.
