QUETTA: Balochistan Government has decided to recruit science and information technology teachers for all high schools in the province.
Balochistan Secretary Education Ghulam Ali Baloch told Dawn.com that the provincial government has decided in principle to impart quality education to students.
He said a total of 1600 science and IT teachers would be appointed across the province.
"Through National Testing Service (NTS), teachers would be recruited," Baloch said.
Balochistan is legging behind other provinces, in terms of key social indicators, when compared to other parts of the country.
According to Chief Minister Balochistan, Dr Malik Baloch, currently 2.3 million children were out of school in the province, plagued by an insurgency and growing sectarianism.
The secretary education informed that besides these posts, 6500 posts for teachers were lying unoccupied in the province. He said all out efforts were being made to bring back the children to school.
For the first time in the history of the province, the coalition government has allocated almost 24 per cent of the budget for the education sector.
However, Ghulam Baloch said that most of the amount was being spent on salaries of teachers and other staff rather than development of the education sector.
The education department has also decided to impart modern training to 3000 teachers in order to improve standards of education.
"Capacity building of teachers is another issue," the secretary education said.
In response to a question, Ghulam Ali Baloch said that enrollment of students during the start of the academic year in Balochistan was not encouraging, as a limited number of students showed up at the government-run schools.
Baloch said that in southern Balochistan the condition of education institutions was miserable.
"Even we have no access to many institutions in the south," he added.
According to the provincial education department, there were more than 3000 ghost schools out of 12,600 in different parts of Balochistan.
Similarly, there were more than 5000 ghost teachers across the province.