Editorial:
The Balochistan government’s claim that around 45,000 children have returned to schools is being presented as a major breakthrough in addressing the province’s deep-rooted education crisis. While any increase in enrollment deserves acknowledgment, this figure pales in comparison to the magnitude of the challenge. More than 3.1 million children in Balochistan remain out of school, a reality that exposes decades of neglect, mismanagement, and hollow commitments by successive provincial governments.
For years, education in Balochistan has been treated more as a slogan than a serious policy priority. Governments have consistently paid lip service to the issue, announcing plans, committees, and reforms that rarely translate into meaningful change on the ground. The result is a broken system where thousands of schools remain without proper buildings, forcing children to study under open skies or abandon education altogether. Shelterless schools are not an exception but a norm across vast parts of the province.
Equally alarming is the issue of so-called “ghost teachers” and ineffective staffing. Despite repeated claims of reforms under the School Based Recruitment (SBK) system, absenteeism, political interference, and lack of accountability continue to cripple public education. Reviewing recruitment processes is important, but without strict monitoring and enforcement, such reviews risk becoming yet another bureaucratic exercise.
The return of 45,000 children to schools should not be used to mask the harsh truth: millions are still deprived of their fundamental right to education. Poverty, insecurity, poor infrastructure, and weak governance continue to push children out of classrooms and into labor, vulnerability, and hopelessness.
If the Balochistan government is serious about change, it must move beyond statements and statistics. Massive investment in school infrastructure, transparent teacher management, community-based enrollment drives, and sustained political will are essential. Without tangible action, promises will remain empty, and another generation of Balochistan’s children will be left behind. Education cannot survive on rhetoric alone; it demands urgent, honest, and decisive action.
