615 schools closed in Balochistan

Over 600 schools set up in Balochistan under a presidential ordinance have been closed and services of 684 teachers terminated. Under the ordinance, a National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) was established in 2002 which set up 615 schools and hired 684 teachers in Balochistan to educate over 4,600 students in those schools. The NCHD extended cooperation to the provincial education department for enrolment of students and quality education and 684 feeder teachers hired under the programme were discharging their duties on a meagre salary of Rs1,500 per month. However, after the passage of the 18th Amendment, the federal government transferred the NCHD programme to provinces as part of giving autonomy to them. Under the NCHD, teachers were posted and deployed in those government-run schools where no teacher was available or only a single teacher performed his/her job. The NCHD scheme showed better results and brought down the dropout rate during 2003-06 and more children were enrolled in the schools. During the PPP-led coalition government of Balochistan, a summary was sent to the chief secretary, finance secretary and education department, asking them to evolve a policy to regularise the service of the teachers hired by the NCHD. However, no action was taken on the summary and the services of these teachers were terminated.