Quetta School Gate locked for students over non-payment of rent
Education Desk :
A school gate locked for students in Quetta over non-payment of rent to the owner of the house-turned school. For the last several years, the students have been studying in a rented government school in the Sirki Kalan area of Quetta. However, the owner denied entrance to the children over the non-payment of rent for what he claims for two years.
“We have shifted 120 students to a nearby government school”, Sher Khan Bazai, the Secretary Education Balochistan said.
Over 40 government schools operating in rented buildings in Quetta
The education department has not paid rent of the house-turned government school for the last two years, the owner complained. Over 40 government-run schools operating in rented buildings and houses in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province.
However, Mr. Bazai claimed the rent delayed only for three-months rather than two years. “Yes, the owner denied entrance to the children in the school”, the Secretary education admitted. He informed that the department took notice of the issue and shifted all 120 students to Abdul Khaliq Boys Middle School for studies.
Rented school buildings paint a grim picture on the outskirts of Quetta. The Balochistan government allocated Rs.75 bs for the education sector during the current financial year 2020-21. After the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), the government allocates the highest budget for the education sector in Balochistan.
Ghost Schools in Balochistan
The outgoing secretary education Balochistan, Ghulam Ali Baloch revealed that the number of ghosts and non-functional schools across the province is 3,200.
Similarly, the number of one-teacher one-room schools across the province is over 5,000. The education department’s statistics show the number of government-run primary, middle and high schools in Balochistan is over 14,000. “Despite this all, still over 1 million children are out of schools in Balochistan”, the Secretary Finance Noor ul Haq Baloch who also served as secretary education told the daily Quetta Voice.
