Balochistan’s Education Crisis: BSAC Highlights Severe Neglect

Balochistan's Education Crisis: BSAC Highlights Severe Neglect

Dil Bar Irshad | June 4, 2024 | 10:32 PM IST | Pakistan News, World | Follow on Google News

Balochistan’s Education Crisis: BSAC Highlights Severe Neglect

Balochistan’s Education Crisis: BSAC Highlights Severe Neglect

Key Highlights:

1. Over 80% of schools in Balochistan are non-functional.
2. Female literacy rates in the region are nearly nonexistent.
3. Only nine functional universities serve the entire province.

The Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC), a notable student organization from Balochistan, has raised alarms about the region’s dire educational infrastructure, describing it as a fundamental human rights violation. According to BSAC, government and non-government literacy reports reveal a bleak picture, with Balochistan’s literacy rate between 26% and 30%, and female literacy virtually nonexistent.

BSAC’s own survey indicates that over 80% of schools in the province are either closed or non-operational, highlighting a severe lack of access to education for the youth. The committee extends its concerns to higher education, describing the available facilities as grossly inadequate for the population, area, and resources of the region.

Education is universally recognized as an essential human right, and BSAC emphasized the responsibility of every state to provide equal educational opportunities to all citizens. However, they highlighted the stark disparities in Balochistan, attributing these to deliberate neglect and discriminatory policies by Pakistan.

BSAC pointed out Pakistan’s constitutional obligations under Article 25A, Article 37B and C, and Article 38D, which mandate the provision of education and basic necessities to all citizens regardless of ethnicity or location. The committee condemned the persistent marginalization of Balochistan’s people, noting the stark contrast between the number of universities in other regions and the meager nine functional universities in Balochistan.

The grievances extend to the state of higher education, particularly Iskandar University in Khuzdar, which, despite having completed its infrastructure in 2021, remains non-functional due to bureaucratic and political barriers. BSAC criticized the government’s indifference and vested interests as major hindrances to educational progress.

In conclusion, BSAC called for immediate action to address the systemic disparities and injustices in Balochistan’s education sector, stressing the urgency of ensuring equitable access to quality education for all Baloch citizens.

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.