QUETTA: About 78 per cent of children in Balochistan are deprived of primary education because a majority of teachers in government-run schools do not bother to take classes as they enjoy political support, according to a survey report released here on Thursday.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2012, said: “Majority of the teachers in the government schools was found absent when survey was conducted in different rural areas of Balochistan.” It said the absent teachers who had political affiliation regularly received their salaries.

Education Secretary Munir Ahmed Badini said: “Our teachers are not properly trained. They should focus on learning instead of adopting a dictatorial attitude towards students.”

Balochistan University Vice-Chancellor Dr Rasool Bakhsh Raisani emphasised the importance of quality of education.

Syed Tanzeem, provincial chief of Idara-i-Taleem-o-Aagahi, said ASER volunteers had noted that enrolment of children in schools in Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Barkhan and some other districts was very disappointing.

Gul Bushra Kakar, focal person of the Planning and Policy Implementation Unit, said: “The survey report has suggested that 78 per cent children do not even get primary education in Balochistan and the dropout ratio is also increasing.”

ASER Coordinator Naghmana Ambreen said the learning level of children in government and private sector schools in Balochistan was very low and several students of class 5 could not read Urdu text or solve questions of basic mathematics.

She said the survey had shown that 19 languages were being used across the province, including Balochi, Pashto and Brahvi.

Other speakers said billions of rupees had been allocated in the budget for the education department but what the survey report showed was shocking.