Khuchlak, District Quetta, Balochistan – November 2015: “When I was a young boy, neither me nor my parents had any awareness about the importance of education – it was not even a consideration,” says Murtaza Khan, a resident of Killi (village) Haji Mehrab Khan Kakar in Union Council Kuchlak. "Since my father was a farmer, I started working in the fields from an early age and have continued doing the same till this day. Times have changed and now we know that education is important. All four of my children, three boys and a girl, go to school. I want them to study so that they don’t have to work in the fields.”
Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan which covers over 43 per cent area of the country. Population density is low and communities live far apart, some of which are hard to reach due to rugged mountainous terrain. Literacy rate is low compared to other provinces but the demand for education is ever increasing.
In an area where till about a decade ago, education - particularly girls’ education, was neither a priority nor easily available, joint efforts of the provincial government and its development partners like UNICEF have resulted in a major turnaround. Parents including those who are uneducated themselves, are keen on sending their children, both boys and girls, to school.
The Government Boys Middle (GBM) School, Killi Haji Mehrab Khan Kakar is the most sought after institution that parents in the village and the neighbouring communities want to send their children to. Over the last two years, the school has come up in leaps and bounds due to innovative elements that have been introduced to raise the level of teaching, learning and community participation in the overall process of child-friendly schooling.
“All three of my boys, Matin Khan (13), Amal Khan (11) and Ajab Khan (8) study in this school. I am a member of the Parent Teacher School Management Committee and am often called in for meetings wherein we discuss and decide how to further improve the school functions and environment. This way, I and many other parents like me are kept aware of the issues the school faces as well as academic progress of our children.”
Involving Parents and Communities in the Education Process
At the GBM School, after a consultative process, teachers, parents and students formulate an ‘Action Plan’ based on school self-assessment in which all key stakeholders including children participate. The plan has a schedule for events and activities which include a campaign to get out-of-school children enrolled, meetings between members of the Parent Teacher School Management Committee (PTSMC) and the Child Club which comprises school students, tree plantation week, sports week, art competitions, children’s portfolio making, teacher training, provision of school supplies, white-washing and maintenance of the school building, approaching the local organisations and well to do individuals to support the school etc. The ‘Action Plan’ is strictly followed and the achievements as well as issues are discussed during regularly held meetings between the school management, PTSMC and students.
The PTSMC which is a strong link between the parents and the school administration, has clearly defined objectives which include raising awareness about education amongst parents, getting all school-going age children from the village and nearby communities enrolled, minimising dropout rates, ensuring teacher attendance, providing optimum health and hygiene services on campus and working for the overall welfare of students and the school.
The Parent Teacher School Management Committee of the Government Boys Middle School, Killi Haji Mehrab Khan Kakar is in session discussing issues and activities pertaining to the overall welfare of students and the school.
“Parents prefer sending their children to this school due to its clean and healthy environment, sufficient and dedicated teaching staff, child-friendly learning and the opportunity for them to be involved in school management through the PTSMC, says Mohammad Safdar Iqbal, Principal of the GBM School.
“We currently have 266 students and 14 teachers. Our teacher to student ratio is much better than most public schools. Most of the students in this school belong to Afghan refugee families. They are poor and prefer their children to start working at an early age to support their families. However, as a result of regular enrolment campaigns and the level of education and cleanliness in the school, the number of students has been going up. The next enrolment campaign is planned for March 2016 after which another 80 students will be added. Support from the Education Department and UNICEF’s contribution has really transformed this school.”
Education Sector Plans for Balochistan (2013-18) The Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP) was signed in 2013 according to which the Government of Balochistan started upgrading 800 primary schools to middle schools and 100 middle schools to higher secondary schools with the objective to increase enrolment and reduce the dropout rates. Under BESP, innovations are being introduced to revamp the education system on modern lines and in conformity with the ever increasing demand for quality and child-friendly education. Some of the new initiatives include:
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Education Management Information System for better planning and effective management of educational services.
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Real Time School Monitoring Initiative for providing rapid insight into the educational inputs and outcomes to the education managers who can now take timely and evidence-bases actions for improving educational services and by monitoring in real time for prompt action and resolution of issues.
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School Development Plans include development of schools by improving infrastructure and facilities as well and provision of learning and teaching materials.
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Accelerated Learning Programme is an alternate to the formal education for students who had missed out earlier but were willing to take a second chance for completing primary education in three years. More than 11,000 students are benefiting in 198 ALP centres across the province.
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Continuous Professional Development provides for school based on-site training for teachers for bringing about a positive change in the learning outcomes of the students.
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Local Education Council raise awareness in the communities on the importance of education, especially girls’ education as well as safeguarding and promoting health, welfare and safety of children. Enrollment campaigns are conducted at the start of the academic year for enrolling out-of-school children.
Health and Hygiene as part of Education
As per the modern concept of education which focuses on overall development of a child and not just on learning achievements, raising awareness about health and hygiene and provision of these services on campus is a matter of priority at the GBM School.
Well-kept toilets, running water, physical exercise and recreational facilities are all available and emphasised upon as part of the overall personality building of students at the GBM School.
“We wash our hands with soap after using the toilet and before eating during the lunch time,” says Assadullah Khan, a 6th grade student. “Our nails, ears and uniform have to be clean as they can be checked by our teachers at any time. We enjoy our time in school whether we are learning in the class, playing or discussing thing in the Child Club.”
Due to conservative cultural traditions in rural areas of Balochistan, co-education is not an option. However, the demand for girls’ education is on the rise and all-girls schools in the province are as populated and vibrant as schools for boys. Not far from the GMB School in Killi Haji Mehrab Khan Kakar, is the Government Girls Primary School. As the bell for end-of-a-school day rings, girls come out of the main gate giggling and bouncing with joy. They too have ambitions to succeed in life. And that is fast becoming acceptable to parents including those who could never attend school in their own time.
Danish Funding for UNICEF Country Programme
In 2014, the Government of Denmark provided USD 11 million to UNICEF to support its ongoing five-year Country Programme (2013-17). The Danish grant is helping UNICEF support activities related to education; water, sanitation and hygiene in schools; health and nutrition; and child protection programmes in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
“UNICEF is supporting the Education Department, Balochistan in actualising the Balochistan Education Sector Plan and the Danish funds are critical to this process of educational reformation.” says David Igulu, UNICEF Chief, Field Office, Balochistan. “These funds have helped us to improve the educational environment in a large number of schools across the province. We have the liberty to utilise them where they are needed the most and what could be more important than providing quality education in a conducive environment to young girls and boys. We are grateful to the people and the Government of Denmark for their support to UNICEF and are working to deliver the best results for the children of Balochistan.”