File Photo: Students at a government-run primary shelterless school in Balochistan's Killa Abdullah district: Photo Asmat Khan

Balochistan education: 0.8% of students secured A+ grade in the middle examination

Education Desk :

The education sector in Balochistan portrays an abysmal picture when it comes to the quality of education. During the middle-level examination for the year 2019-20, only 0.8 percent of students secured an A + grade across the province.

Only 322 students got A + grade out of a total of 42,823 candidates in the middle-level examination, statistics of the Balochistan Assessment and Examination Commission (BAEC) revealed.

The documents showed 122 students got an A grade during the examination conducted in the province. In 9 districts including Barkhan, Harnai, Kachi, Kharan, Musakhail, Nushki, Sherani, Killa Abdullah, and Sikandar Abad, no student achieved an A + grade.

Loralai residential college stood first

However, Balochistan’s Loralai district stood first since 100 students from Residential College got A + grade. Similarly, Khuzdar Residential College’s 67 students got an A + grade. In District Zhob, 55 students obtained an A + grade and most of the students were from BRC.

The report further reveals that the majority of the students 25,291 passed the examination in D grade. The number of boys who appeared in the examination was 28,379. However, the number of girls students was 14,444. This means 66.3% of boys and 33.7 % of girls participated in the examination.

Examinations at this age are harassing and demotivating for students: Ghulam Ali Baloch 

However, Ghulam Ali Baloch, the former Secretary of Education Balochistan says, “in better education systems of the world, examination at this age brackets are considered harassing and demotivating for students”. Students have to complete the minimum education standards of 12 years under the National Education Policy and constitution without hurdles, he argued.

Most of the education budget is spent on salaries of teachers rather than promotion and quality of education in Balochistan. Hitherto, no effective steps adopted to impart better training to teachers.

“Education in the province at the primary and secondary level has deteriorated over the past few decades”, Dr. Faisal Ahmed Khan Kakar, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) said.

Lack of consistency in governance has been a key cause; key officers and policies have remained a short-term affair, he mentioned. Education has to be dealt with in a way different from other subjects like the C&W department or livestock, Mr. Kakar noted.

In Balochistan, most schools deprived of basic facilities. Secretary education Balochistan, Sher Khan Bazai revealed that 8,188 schools had no toilet facility. Lack of basic facilities also compounds the problems of students especially in far-flung areas of the province.

Balochistan education: 0.8% of students secured A+ grade in middle examination

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Quetta Voice is an English Daily covering all unfolding political, economic and social issues relating to Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province in terms of area. QV's main focus is on stories related to education, promotion of quality education and publishing reports about out of school children in the province. QV has also a vigilant eye on health, climate change and other key sectors.