QUETTA: Out of more than 12,000 government-run schools in Balochistan, until now there was only one room, one teacher in 7,000 schools for all grades.

This was revealed by the Adviser to the Chief Minister Balochistan on Education, Sardar Raza Muhammad Bareech on Monday evening.

The adviser on education also announced that a school admission campaign for out of school children would also be launched in March this year.

Speakers at a provincial meeting spoke at length about the gloomy condition of education in the province which has been plagued by terrorism.

Mishal Pakistan, a non-governmental organisation had setup the meeting at Quetta Press Club, which was attended by government functionaries and journalists from print and electronic media.

"With meager resources, we cannot overcome the challenge of illiteracy in Balochistan," Bareech told the meeting.

He stated that even if ten years development budget was spent on education sector, all out of school children could not be enrolled in classes.

“We have enrolled 100,000 out of school children last year,” Bareech claimed, saying that on war-footing basis, the government was determined to ensure establishment of schools.

Bareech said that most of the children quit their education after the primary level and only 50 per cent were retaining in schools after middle school.

“Poverty coupled with poor governance force students to quit education,” he said.

For the first time in the history of Balochistan, around 24 per cent of the budget has been allocated for the education sector.

The nationalist-led government has already declared an education emergency across the province and announced the implementation of article 25-A of the Constitution to overcome illiteracy.

The Balochistan government has also announced that it intends to establish 2,000 community schools in the province in collaboration with global partnership.

"Two teachers in each school would teach in community schools," Sardar Bareech informed.

Secretary Information Balochistan, Abdullah Jan on the occasion termed poor data as one of the reasons behind poor standard of education in the province.

He called for enhancing the capacity of teachers to meet the challenges of the modern world.

President Press Club Quetta, Raza ur Rehman lamented that the number of government teachers was more than 50,000 but they were unable to provide 50 students with better education.

The speakers urged the government to double its efforts for promoting education in the province.