Primary level of education in Balochistan: 70 percent students drop out per annum

A total of 70 percent students drop out per year after primary level education in Balochistan due to lack of transport facilities. The main reason of the students drop out is long distance between Secondary ad primary schools. Balochistan Government has allocated Rs 1 billion for provision of missing facilities to schools.
Balochistan Government is getting 17 percent of total natural gas revenue from the Federal Government. The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) were jointly spending Rs 450 million per year on health, education and other social services.
Balochistan Chief Secretary Ahmed Baksheesh Lehri and Secretary of Petroleum Ministry Imtiaz Qazi told this to National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Co-ordination which met with Mir Ahmedan Khan Bugti in the chair at Parliament House on Wednesday. Secretary Ministry of Inter Provincial Co-ordination Ahmad Mahmood Zahid and Secretary Establishment Division also participated in the meeting.
Chief Secretary of Balochistan Ahmed Bakhsh told the Committee that drop out rate from Primary schools 70 % of the total students due to lack of transport facility. The secondary schools are situated at long distance hence the students of primary schools could not get admission, he said. A total of 40 schools have the transport facility out of more than 11,000 schools. We will try to reduce the distance by up-grading primary schools and providing them transport facility. There are only 400 government high schools and 75 colleges in Balochistan province.
The Chief Secretary Balochistan said that the provincial government has allocated Rs I billion for provision of missing facilities to schools. He said that 5,000 jobs have been created in the provinces funded by Federal government. In this regard, he said that 5,000 teachers have been appointed almost at all government schools in the province. There was shortage of teachers and these appointments would overcome the shortage. He said that the federal government had committed to provide scholarships to 6000 students but it could not do so due to lack of funds.
Answering to a question about missing person, the Chief Secretary said that according to official record, as many as 55 people are missing in Balochistan. He said that initially, the people have submitted 995 applications. Secretary of Petroleum Ministry Imtiaz Qazi told the meeting that two companies Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) are spending Rs 450 million per year on health, education and other social services. He said that the PPL is spending a total of 350 million while an amount of Rs 100 million is contributed by the OGDL. He said that a hospital of 50 beds has been constructed in Sui.
He said that GDS and royalty on gas have been clubbed with 7th NFC award. He said that Federal Government is giving 17 percent of total revenue on gas to Balochistan. Answering to a question about the Reko Diq-the area with world largest copper and gold reserves, the Secretary of Petroleum Ministry told the Committee that it is purely provincial subject.
He said provincial government had made an agreement with a foreign company in 1994. He said that when the company reached advance stage in 2006, the role of federal government was evident particularly in case of port and shipping and financial issues including custom duty and income tax. For this purpose, the Prime Minster had constituted a committee headed by Petroleum secretary to assist the provincial government.
"It is totally wrong report of media. Federal government was never involved by provincial government on this subject," he said. Chief Secretary Balochistan Ahmed Bakhsh said that the Singapore Port Authority needed 2500 acres of land at Gawadar. In this regard, the government has to decide how much land should be given the authority, he said.