Education reform

This refers to the letter ‘Where did all the teachers go?’ (January 10) by Ahmed Bashir. I completely agree with what the writer has written. Balochistan is rich in natural resources, but it is the most neglected province. According to a Unicef report, 70 percent children of Balochistan are out of school. The Balochistan government’s lack of commitment towards improving the education system has resulted in the sector’s precipitous collapse.

There are so many schools in the province’s rural areas where a single teacher is teaching every subject as the rate of teacher absenteeism in such areas is high. Because of long duty hours, these teachers cannot pay attention to every detail. The rate of illiteracy will remain high in the province unless the government takes serious action.

Mahgul Habib

Kech

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This refers to the article ‘Real education reform’ (January 10) by Jamila Razzaq. It is really great that the federal minister for education and his team has made a policyfor the revival of Pakistan’s education system. For the progress and prosperity of the country, education is quite important.

In our country, the authorities have paid little attention to the problems that are faced by the education sector. It is good to note that the education department has finally taken action to bring improvements in the sector.

Yasira Mansoor

Makran

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The PTI government has started a campaign to enroll out-of-school children in government schools. The reason for high rate of school dropouts is rising poverty which compels parents to send their children so that they can put food on table. These children work in workshops and roadside hotels, and as bus conductors and labourers to earn meagre income every month.

The government should offer a monthly stipend of at least Rs5000 per month to help children cover their monthly expenses. This will go a long way in reducing the number of out-of-school children. The stipend given will also allow students to purchase new text and note books, and other essentials like school uniform.

Wakeel Khan

Rawalpindi