QUETTA: The provincial education department has revealed that a teacher shortage has rendered over 3,500 institutions in Balochistan inoperable.
The department responded in writing to a member of the Balochistan Assembly’s inquiry, stating that since the new government came into office in February, 542 schools have been closed, bringing the total number of non-operational girls’ and boys’ schools in all 35 districts to 3,694.
The questioner was not present during the session, so the answer could not be given in front of the house. As a result, the question was postponed until the following meeting.
There are 48,841 teachers working in 15,096 government schools in the province at the moment.
There are about 16,000 unfilled academic staff positions in the province.
The districts with the greatest number of non-operational schools, as per the breakdown, are Pishin (254), Khuzdar (251), Barkhan (174), Kalat (179), Qila Saifullah (179), Awaran (161), and Quetta (152).
Thirteen schools in Dera Bugti, the hometown of Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, are closed as a result of a staffing crisis in academia.
According to the documents, there is now a teacher deficit in the province of about 16,000.
The government has recently begun hiring 9,496 teachers in an attempt to fill the open positions.
There are 168 schools for boys and 86 for girls closed in Pishin, compared to 88 and 64 in Quetta.
Governor praises AIOU
Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, the governor of Balochistan, has commended the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) for its contribution in making higher education accessible and stated that the university is playing a significant role in advancing contemporary education in Pakistan.
The governor stated that both urban and rural students in the nation are gaining from AIOU during his speech at the Quetta chapter’s convocation on Sunday.
Because of its remote learning program, Governor Mandokhail claimed that AIOU is regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
According to him, the university is “unique” in that it offers instruction to learners of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
According to Mr. Mandokhail, AIOU is creating a trained workforce that can fulfill the demands of the current market by utilizing information technology, thereby laying the road for the nation’s bright future.
27 female graduates received gold medals and degrees during the convocation.
Teachers, graduates, parents, and AIOU Professor Dr. Nasir Mahmood were present for the convocation.
The convocation, according to the governor, is a “testament to your success, dedication and perseverance.” He greeted the new graduates and their parents.
In addition, he expressed gratitude to the vice chancellor and his staff and stated that he had high hopes for the institution’s ability to continue teaching knowledge and skills.
