Literacy as the Foundation of a Better Balochistan

Literacy is far more than the ability to read and write. It is the foundation upon which children build their futures, societies achieve progress and nations develop stronger, more prosperous and empowered communities. For Balochistan, where educational challenges have historically remained significant, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti’s vision places education at the centre of the province’s development agenda.

On World Literacy Day, the Chief Minister has reiterated that education is not merely another sector for his government but a fundamental instrument for shaping the future of Balochistan. His stated objective is clear: no child in Balochistan should remain deprived of education.

This vision is increasingly being reflected in measurable interventions across the province. According to the Chief Minister, more than 3,800 non-functional schools have been made functional during the past two years. The scale of this initiative is significant because restoring existing educational institutions provides an immediate avenue for bringing children back into classrooms and expanding access without waiting for entirely new infrastructure.

Equally significant is the government’s effort to address the problem of out-of-school children. More than 768,000 children who were previously out of school have been brought back into the education system during the last two years. This represents one of the most important dimensions of the government’s educational vision: ensuring that access to education is expanded to children who have remained outside the formal system.

The expansion of educational infrastructure is another major component of this strategy. More than 2,000 new schools have been established under the Balochistan Education Foundation, while plans have been initiated for the establishment of another 1,800 schools. In addition, construction of additional classrooms in 3,000 existing schools is under way. Together, these measures reflect an effort not only to increase the number of educational institutions but also to improve their capacity to accommodate a growing number of students.

Infrastructure, however, cannot produce educational outcomes without teachers. Recognising the importance of human resources, the government has recruited more than 15,000 teachers through merit-based and transparent procedures. The Chief Minister believes that ensuring the availability of teachers will strengthen the capacity of educational institutions and help provide children with access to quality education.

The government’s educational vision also extends beyond school education to scholarships and higher learning. Under the Balochistan Education Endowment Fund, a total of 23,520 scholarships have been awarded through various scholarship schemes during the past two years.

These scholarships cover students at different stages of education. A total of 1,500 scholarships have been provided for students from Grade 9 to Grade 10, while 969 scholarships have been awarded to district position holders under the Shaheed Benazir Scholarship for Matric District Position Holders.

At the intermediate level, 1,650 scholarships have been provided to Part-I students. The Associate Degree Programme has received 2,431 scholarships, while 552 scholarships have been awarded under the Diploma of Associate Engineering programme.

For students pursuing undergraduate education outside Balochistan, 4,682 partial scholarships have been provided for BS programmes. Another 150 scholarships have been awarded under the Cadet Excellence Scholarship Programme. The government has also extended educational support to transgender students, with 60 scholarships provided under the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Scholarship Programme.

At the college and university level, 9,451 partial BS scholarships have been provided, widening opportunities for young people seeking higher education. For the children of civil martyrs, 590 fully funded scholarships have been awarded under the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Scholarship Programme.

The scholarship portfolio extends further. Under the Punjab Education Endowment Fund, 898 scholarships have been provided, while 300 scholarships have been allocated for students at Sadiq Public School. The Beacon National University Scholarship Programme has provided 30 scholarships, while six scholarships have been awarded for PhD studies abroad in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Under the Oxford Pakistan Programme, one scholarship has been provided, while 64 scholarships have been offered through the Pakistan Petroleum Limited Scholarship Programme. For higher education in law, 16 scholarships have been provided for LLM studies under the Lawyers Fund Programme. Another 161 scholarships have been awarded under the same programme for children of martyred police personnel.

Taken together, these initiatives represent a broad educational vision encompassing school rehabilitation, new institutions, classroom expansion, teacher recruitment, scholarships and higher education opportunities. The numbers also indicate an approach that seeks to address education at multiple levels rather than focusing exclusively on one dimension of the system.

For Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the ultimate objective remains straightforward: to build an educated, capable, empowered and prosperous Balochistan. His vision is anchored in the belief that every child deserves access to quality education and every young person should have an opportunity to develop their abilities.

The road ahead will require sustained investment, continuity and effective implementation. But the direction of the government’s stated policy is unmistakable. By restoring schools, expanding educational infrastructure, recruiting teachers and creating pathways to higher education, the government seeks to turn education into a practical instrument of social and economic transformation.

The vision is ultimately about more than increasing enrolment figures or constructing schools. It is about ensuring that education becomes an opportunity available to every child, regardless of where he or she is born. A Balochistan in which no child is deprived of education is the foundation of the Chief Minister’s vision—and, ultimately, the foundation of a stronger and more prosperous province.