QUETTA: The Balochistan Basic Education Programme (BBEP) has been formally launched by the Provincial Government, Mr. Mohammad Khan Achakzai at Hotel Serena on Wednesday forenoon.
Ambassador of the European Union Mr. Jean-Francois Cautain and the UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Ms Angela Kearney also participate in the inaugural ceremony.
The programme is designed to extend better and quality education facilities to the school children in Balochistan by providing education facilities to 35 per cent children who had no access to school education.
The Governor was of the view that the Government had taken steps which had brought some improvement in the education sector and still 35 percent children had no access to school education in the Province.
The Governor praised the services and assistance from the UNICEF and the European Union in improving basic and quality education to children in Balochistan. He said that education or manpower development is the only source of economic development in any part of the world.
Mr. Achakzai said that with quality education we can face the future challenges by making our generations literate. He said that education and its development is the first priority of the Provincial Government.
He said that through reforms in the education sector, the Government would not ignore the basic needs of children living in the remote corners of Balochistan. The Governor said that it is quality education that build the personalities and also help fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Mr. Achakzai told his audience that the quality of Education in Balochistan is not up to the world standard and it should be improved qualitatively. He praised the services of the Balochistan Education Foundation saying it had rendered valuable services in the past.
He said that the Balochistan, in collaboration with the UNICEF and other international donor agencies, will make joint efforts to improve the quality of education.
The distinguished guests from the European Union and the UNICEF said in their speeches that “we have to think beyond the problems of education in Balochistan and bring the youth of this region on resolving the global issues through quality education.’ They praised the Balochistan Basic Education Programme of the Provincial Government in which establishing new schools, better textbooks for children, proper training of the teachers and upgrading existing schools in many respect.
The European Union would provide 7.4 million Euro during the next three years. Earlier, the European Union supported the Balochistan Education Sector Plan and support to the Government of Balochistan is part of the long term agenda of the European Union, they said.
Around 35 per cent of children in Balochistan had no access to educational facilities and they are away from the schools. Among them 70 per cent are girl child while 42 per cent are male child from the age of five years to 16. At present education facilities are available to merely 27 per cent children are enjoying school education. The main reason is poverty, backwardness, lack of proper facilities in most parts of Balochistan.
The Education Management Information System had been made functional with the help and support from the UNICEF and through it one can get basic information about education and other related matter.
Source: Daily Balochistan Express
