Quetta: Governor of Balochistan, Jaffar Mandokhail, has said that millions of children in the province are out of school, which is an alarming situation. However, despite the challenges, the Government of Balochistan is determined to bring the light of education to every child. He said that it is our national duty to equip every child with the ornament of education.
The Governor expressed these views while addressing a ceremony in Quetta held for the graduates of the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP). On this occasion, he appreciated the program being run with the support of UNICEF and Norway, calling it an excellent initiative that should be expanded across the province.
During the event, honorary certificates were distributed among ALP graduates, while students also received gifts. The ceremony was attended by the Director of School Education, Vice Chancellors of universities, and senior officials of UNICEF.
The Governor noted that many government schools in various districts of the province lack basic facilities, but the government is striving to fulfill its responsibility. “We do not lack resources, but bringing education to the village level remains a challenge,” he remarked.
According to the Department of Education Balochistan, with the support of UNICEF and Norway, so far 665 children at the primary level and 294 children at the middle level have graduated through ALP. The Government of Balochistan has announced that in order to achieve the goal of education for all, the scope of ALP centers will be further expanded.
As per statistics, the literacy rate in Balochistan is only 42 percent, while female literacy stands at merely 33 percent. In the province, nearly 2.94 million children between the ages of 5 and 16 are still out of school.
