Over 1,500 government-run primary, middle and high schools in Balochistan were found, during a verification process, to exist only on paper. The Balochistan government and Unicef jointly conducted a survey with regard to the verification of schools over May 2016 to May 2017 to track down ghost schools across the province. Over 1,500 schools out of the total 10,788 could not be found. According to report, Balochistan Education Minister Rahim Ziaratwal put the figure of ghost schools at 1,400. He added that 1,400 schools could not be identified during the verification process. In Balochistan, the number of government-run primary, middle and high schools are above 13,000. Last year, the government had launched a verification process of schools throughout the province. The verification process was conducted through Education Management and Information System. Ziaratwal said that an inquiry was ordered into the matter and departmental action will be taken against the concerned officers. The joint survey also revealed that 25 schools were being run without buildings. The number of shelterless schools in Balochistan is already above 2,000, the minister added. The EMIS survey also revealed that 90 per cent schools in the province had no sanitation facility. Funds worth Rs1 billion, allocated for the provision of clean drinking water and construction of toilets, had lapsed during fiscal year 2016-17. The provincial government has declared an educational emergency in the province to bring children to schools. However, educational institutions across the province show a bleak picture. The education plays very vital role in progress and prosperity of any country. With provision of modern and quality education to masses, the dream of development cannot be achieved. The issues of presence of ghost schools in the country are not new. The current survey shows that that menace of ghost schools still persists and making mockery of claims about good governance and better educational management. It is good of Balochistan government to have declared education emergency and carried out verification process for identification of ghost schools. The exercise has paid fruits and provided an opportunity to concerned authorities to wipe out theft of limited financial resources and eliminate rampant corruption in education department. Stories about the presence of ghost schools in Sindh keep surfacing, which taint the endeavours the Sindh government claims to be making to promote education in the province under the education emergency. Government Girls Primary School, Lal Bux Mahtam had been reported another such ghost school, which was closed long ago due to the apathy of the authorities concerned. However, teachers continue to get salaries while sitting at home. The federal government and all provinces including AJK and GB should take strict measures to reform their educational sectors and clean their departments from the evil of fake schools. The offence cannot be possible without the connivance and support of government officials. The elements involved in this heinous crime should be identified, be given strict punishment and made an example so that educational departments could be saved from this crime.
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