QUETTA – A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti approved key reform measures aimed at improving education, increasing literacy rates, and upgrading learning facilities across the province.
The meeting decided to remove the requirement of school uniforms at the primary level and allow boys and girls to study together in the same schools.
In this regard, a proposed policy to declare primary schools as “gender-free” will be presented in the upcoming cabinet meeting.
To raise literacy levels, it was agreed to introduce a double-shift system in 900 schools across the province and to increase long-pending salaries of teachers working under the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD).
The Secretary of School Education briefed the meeting that additional classrooms will be constructed in 3,000 single-room schools within the next year. It was also decided to introduce standardized reading and writing materials in government schools to ensure uniform learning standards.
Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced the elimination of the traditional “taat culture” in all functional government schools, directing that every school must be provided with desks so that no child is forced to sit on the floor during classes. He stressed that it was unacceptable for children in the province to study on mats while the world has moved forward.
He warned that strict action would be taken against responsible officials if students were found sitting on the floor after the implementation deadline. The Chief Minister also said he would conduct surprise visits to remote schools, including traveling by helicopter if necessary, to personally review educational conditions.
The meeting also agreed on a broader reform agenda for the upcoming budget, focusing on improvements in education, health, and law and order. The Chief Minister emphasized that building confidence and dignity among children is essential and assured that the government would take all necessary steps to achieve this goal.
