QUETTA: The Balochistan Education Department on Wednesday launched an investigation against 600 ghost teachers in Quetta and other districts of the province.

Inquiry committees on district level have already been formed to probe into the appointment orders and educational certificates of teachers in the province.

"We have traced almost 600 ghost teachers across the province," Education Secretary Saboor Kakar told Dawn.com.

He said the teachers had been appointed on fake documents and orders in Quetta and other districts in the past.

"Currently, we have suspended 200 teachers in the province," Kakar said. The absent teachers were suspended in Quetta, Kharan, Killa Abdullah, Dera Bugti and other districts.

"We will terminate all ghost teachers," Kakar said.

Read also: Balochistan government suspends 260 teachers

Ground realities and official statistics paint a gloomy picture of the state of education in Balochistan.

According to Chief Minister Balochistan, Dr Malik Baloch, 2.3 million children were out of schools in the province.

The nationalists-led government has also taken strict action against absent teachers in Quetta, Panjgoor, Killa Abdullah, Pishin and other districts.

For the first time, the provincial government allocated around 24 per cent of the budget for salaries and development of education sector in the province.

"Improvement of education is a major challenge for us," Adviser to the Chief Minister Balochistan on Education, Sardar Raza Muhammad Bareech said.

Balochistan government has already declared an education emergency, announcing the implementation of article 25-A of the Constitution in order to ensure enrollment of out of school children in the province.

Chief Secretary Balochistan Saifullah Chatha also chaired a high level meeting recently to review the performance of the education department.

The meeting decided to eradicate cheating from schools and examination halls. Kakar told Dawn.com that it was decided to install secret cameras at all examination halls in the province.

"We will not tolerate cheating during examinations," the education secretary said.