Co-education approved for primary schools; desks, extra classrooms and double shifts planned
QUETTA:
The government of Balochistan has announced sweeping reforms aimed at modernizing learning environments and ensuring equal opportunities for boys and girls.
A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti focusing on education, health and law and order resulted in consensus to prioritize these sectors in the next fiscal year’s budget.
The most ground-breaking decision is to declare all public schools gender-free. Under the new policy, boys and girls will study together in the same classrooms and the mandatory requirement of school uniform will be removed. This initiative, once approved by the provincial cabinet, will be implemented across Balochistan to promote social harmony and gender equality while optimizing limited resources.
An important highlight of the meeting was the complete elimination of “Tat Culture”, a practice where students in remote areas sit on sacks or mats instead of proper furniture. Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed deep anger that although the world has progressed in the 21st century, it is shameful that children in remote regions of Balochistan are still deprived of basic dignity. “No child wants to sit on a tat anymore,” he declared. The government will make desks and chairs available to all students in all functional elementary schools. Bugti directed the Minister of School Education to take immediate action and warned that officials who fail to meet the deadline after the deadline would face strict disciplinary action.
To demonstrate personal commitment, the Prime Minister announced that he would personally conduct surprise inspections, even landing by helicopter in mountainous and remote areas to check school conditions.
Additional reforms include introducing double-shift systems in 900 public schools to increase enrollment capacity and constructing extra classrooms in 3,000 single-room schools within the next year. Teachers working under the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) will receive significant salary hikes after years of frozen salaries. A uniform curriculum and standardized reading and writing material will also be introduced across all primary schools to ensure uniform quality.
Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan gave a detailed briefing on the current challenges faced by single room schools. The meeting acknowledged that Balochistan’s literacy rate remains well below the national average, especially in rural, tribal and remote regions. These reforms seek to expand access to quality education and empower children to contribute to the province’s development.
Addressing the participants, Chief Minister Bugti emphasized that raising children is not only the responsibility of parents, but the collective duty of society and the state. “Our vision is to create a progressive Balochistan where every child receives quality education and becomes a catalyst for progress,” he said.
Senior education officials and relevant secretaries attended the meeting.
