BALOCHISTAN has consistently found itself at the bottom of the development pyramid. Most surveys show that the province ranks lowest in education in both access and standard. While the recent District Education Performance Index (DEPIx) reports disparities in inputs, expectations remain impractical. The latter demands that results from Sherani and Awaran be on a par with the ones from Islamabad and Lahore.

In the list of critical factors for human capital development, inclusive education is paramount. But inclusion is impossible without equity, particularly in countries where development is polarised. Hence, underdeveloped regions deserve more investment from developed territories. Ac­­cording to Unicef, the rate of Balochistan’s out-of-school children (OOSC) is 47 per cent, Punjab’s is 14pc, KP’s 24pc and Sindh’s 15pc. Pakistan Education Statistics 2021-22 reveal that only 23pc of Balochistan’s primary schools have access to potable water, 39pc have a boundary wall and a mere 15pc have electricity.

Balochistan also receives the most minor slice of the NFC award, which makes bridging the gulf between learners and schooling unachievable. Equality demands equal distribution of resources; it also requires recognition of heightened deprivation with the allocation of a generous 3:1 share for the hungry. Thus Balochistan’s education sector is in dire need of an equitable share in the financial pool. An abominably inequitable educational management is also reflected in DEPIx. However, let’s analyse whether DEPIx addresses educational disparities adequately. It seems to lack deeper insights and comprehensive measures for educational progress, quality pedagogy, learning and assessment methods.

Firstly, the sustainability and effectiveness of a longer tenure, as suggested for education secretaries, is questionable. The culture of transfers of subordinate officials and principals, along with their leadership capital, is linked to district indexing. Similarly, the quality parameters in the index measure dropout and school participation — issues related to access — partially.

Inclusive education is of paramount importance.

DEPIx assesses digital technology availability in schools as ICT in education, whereas empirical evidence contradicts this view. According to recent research, technological tools in Pakistani schools are mostly unused because their usage is discouraged by school administrations. Therefore, the presence of ICT in academic facilities cannot be seen as an integral part of education. It would be more beneficial to integrate ICT into classrooms, assessment methods, teachers’ professional development and school management.

There is no doubt about the importance of data for appropriate educational supervision, decision-making, formulating policies and planning. However, relevance, validity and reliability are central factors for any valuable database. There is a need for accurate and modern measures for quality learning; first-hand information that captures the contextual realities as well as maintains objectivity in its analysis is a prerequisite. Otherwise, the result can have a disproportionate impact on the planning, implementation and evaluation of educational outcomes, particularly in terms of access, learning and educational governance.

Our collective approach towards dealing with education-related issues, such as OOSC, without taking the broader educational ecology into account is flawed. This educational ecology includes the cultural, socioeconomic and sociological landscape, and solutions to OOSC do not reside in effective educational management alone because sociocultural, socioeconomic and sociopolitical well-being is the real remedy.

The higher OOSC rates in some parts of the country too cannot be attributed solely to effective educational management and parental awareness about the importance of education. It is also an outcome of their economic security through better job opportunities and social mobility. Balochistan, as the least developed society in the country, has child labour and parental financial incapacity to enrol children in schools.

In addition to reliable data, an intersectoral approach to data collection, analysis and its integration in policies is essential. For instance, the integration of BISP with schooling under the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif is a good step. A comprehensive social security net and economic growth will go a long way in resolving the OOSC issue. But the absence of quality is a far more severe concern, which demands looking beyond conventional educational research, planning and development. The long-standing need for bottom-up planning should be addressed urgently. There must be true devolution of power not just to the provinces but also to the districts and schools.

The writer is an educationist.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2024