Islamabad – The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, held a meeting with the Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024, with a focus on addressing educational disparities and boosting socio-economic development in Balochistan, particularly in marginalized regions of the province. The meeting aimed to discuss and implement initiatives to mitigate educational gaps and uplift the educational sector in the province.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister endorsed various transformative education interventions for which support will be provided by the Federal government. As per the directions of the Prime Minister, four Daanish Schools will be established in the province for underprivileged children. Furthermore, a grant from the Qatar Fund will be specifically allocated to cater to the needs of Out-of-School Children (OOSC) in Balochistan. In a move to promote access to higher education, twenty percent of the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) Scholarships will now be reserved for students from Balochistan. In addition, fifteen percent of the NAVTTC Skill Development Training Program seats will be earmarked for Balochistan.
Recognizing the importance of technology in education, Degree Colleges in Balochistan will be transformed into Centers of Excellence in IT, affiliating with prestigious institutions such as NUST, NUML, NUTECH, and COMSATS. Additionally, efforts will be made to provide school meals through BISP to 500 public sector schools in lagging districts, in collaboration with non-profit organizations.
Performance-based grants will be provided to the Balochistan Government from the Actions to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive and Responsive Education (ASPIRE) Program and the Rs. 25 billion-Out-of-School Children (OOSC) Challenge Fund for lagging districts in Balochistan.
To enhance access to higher education, federal universities will double their quota for students from Balochistan. Moreover, Financial Literacy Training for teachers will be facilitated through SECP and the State Bank of Pakistan.
Efforts will also be directed towards distance learning initiatives, including the introduction of pathways for students and teachers in lagging districts through platforms like the E-Taleem Portal, TeleSchool, and the National Institute of Excellence in Teacher Education (NIETE). Ensuring internet connectivity in educational institutions will be prioritized through collaboration with the Universal Services Fund (USF) and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom
The implementation of these measures will be overseen by a consortium of key officials, including the Chief Secretary Balochistan, Secretary Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training (MoFEPT), Secretary Finance Division, Secretary PA&SS Division, Chairman HEC, Chairman BISP, Chairperson NAVTCC, Governor SBP, and Secretary IT&T.
PRIME MINISTER’S INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE EDUCATION IN BALOCHISTAN
