Co-education approved for primary schools; desks, extra classrooms and double shifts planned
QUETTA:
Balochistan government has announced sweeping reforms aimed at modernizing learning en-vironments and ensuring equal opportunities for boys and girls.
Chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, a high-level meeting focused on education, health, and law and order resulted in consensus to prioritize these sectors in the next financial year’s budget.
The most groundbreaking decision is to declare all primary government schools gender-free. Under the new policy, boys and girls will study together in the same classrooms, and the mandatory school uni-form requirement will be removed. This initiative, once approved by the provincial cabinet, will be im-plemented across Balochistan to promote social harmony and gender equality while optimizing limited resources.
A major highlight of the meeting was the complete elimination of “Tat Culture,” a practice where stu-dents in remote areas sit on sacks or mats instead of proper furniture. Expressing deep anger, Chief Min-ister Mir Sarfraz Bugti stated that while the world has advanced into the 21st century, it is shameful that children in Balochistan’s far-flung regions are still deprived of basic dignity. “No child will sit on a tat an-ymore,” he declared. The government will provide desks and chairs to every student in all functional public schools. Bugti directed the Secretary of Schools Education to take immediate steps and warned that officials failing to comply after the deadline would face strict disciplinary action.
Demonstrating personal commitment, the Chief Minister announced he would personally conduct sur-prise inspections, even landing by helicopter in mountainous and remote areas to check school condi-tions.
Additional reforms include introducing double-shift systems in 900 government schools to increase en-rollment 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 signifi-cant salary increases after years of frozen pay. A uniform curriculum and standardized reading and writ-ing materials will also be introduced across all public schools to ensure consistent quality.
Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan provided a detailed briefing on the current challenges facing single-room schools. The meeting acknowledged that Balochistan’s literacy rate remains well be-low the national average, particularly 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 stressed that educating children is not only parents’ responsibility but the collective duty of society and the state. “Our vision is to create a progressive Balo-chistan where every child receives quality education and becomes a catalyst for progress,” he said.
Senior education officials and relevant secretaries attended the meeting.
