QUETTA: Eight schools in the provincial capital have been running with funds from neighbouring countries for the last 30 years, with the institutions registered with none of the education boards of the country.

Official sources said the great anomaly was detected when the Balochistan Education Foundation checked the records of the schools.

The schools were established under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the provincial education department and the schools’ administrations three decades ago.

Over the past 30 years the schools’ administrations did not renew the MoU, while the education department too failed to fulfil its responsibility and did not even inspect the schools, the sources said.

They said the students were being imparted education under Iran’s curriculum and schools were issuing matric and intermediate certificates to the students of these schools, which were not recognised by any Pakistani education board.

These schools are also not affiliated with the Baloch­istan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Quetta.

They said that due to nonrecognition of these schools’ certification in Pakistan, the students of these schools have to go to Iran for their further education.

The sources said that the authorities concerned in Islamabad and Balochistan had taken notice of the situation and called the secretary of education of Balochistan in Islamabad for explaining the status in this regard. The authorities concerned have ordered a probe into the issue and after inquiry action would be taken against the officials concerned and school administration.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2021