Messages

Message of Honorable Governor Balochistan

Provision of free and quality education to the children is the primary responsibility of the State. Children and young people are the future of a nation. The importance of development of their abilities to enter life as productive and responsible citizens cannot be overestimated. The potential of Pakistan’s youthful population will be reaped only through investment in quality education for all children. The development of the Balochistan Education Sector Plan (2020-25) is a right step in this direction.
I congratulate the Government of Balochistan, Secondary Education Department, on this commendable effort. I am sure that Secondary Education Department will now focus all efforts and energies on the timely and proper implementation of Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP: 2020-25). I am also confident that the provincial Government will religiously pursue the road-map and the targets set by BESP. The implementation of BESP in letter and spirit will contribute towards the fulfillment of constitutional obligations in the shape of Articles 25-A and 37-B and the international commitments made by the country in the form of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
My sincere and best wishes are with the Government of Balochistan and all the departments involved in the implementation of BESP (2020-25).

Message of Honorable Chief Minister Balochistan

Balochistan has a large youth bulge with nearly 65% of its total population below the age of 30. This youth bulge represents both an opportunity and a risk. For the Government, this implies that quality education needs to be provided to a large number of children and young people so that they can become active, responsible and productive members of the society. The Government is cognizant of the scale and intensity of the challenge of providing quality education to all and is committed to taking all the necessary steps to accomplish this mission.
It was with these objectives in mind that the Government of Balochistan, soon after coming into power, embarked on the task of developing an evidence-based comprehensive plan for the education sector. The Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP: 2020-25) provides a holistic and integrated roadmap for delivering quality education for all. The Plan reflects the vision and aspirations of the Government and the needs of the people regarding education.

BESP (2020-25) recognizes the integrated nature of education and child development and prioritizes both improvement of quality and access to education. The Government is keen to provide all the necessary financial and administrative support for effective implementation of BESP. It is hoped that, through sound implementation of BESP, progress will be ensured on the commitments made in the Balochistan Compulsory Education Act, 2014 as well as the Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8. The Government shall also review and monitor the implementation of the BESP (2020-25) on regular basis.
I congratulate the Department of Secondary Education and its attached departments / wings for this commendable effot. I sincerely hope that they will work with the same dedication and spirit towards the implementation of BESP (2020-25).
I am also confident that we will achieve tangible improvements in education quality and access over the next few years. I wish everyone involved in its implementation the best and pray that the efforts result in improvement of the future of children in Balochistan.

Messgae of Honorable Minister Education Balochistan

The Government of Balochistan views education as a mission that needs to be pursued on an emergency basis. It is central to the development agenda and the future of Balochistan. Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP: 2020-25) provides a roadmap towards this future. The Plan addresses issues of learning, participation and reduction of gender gaps. These have been long- standing challenges in education for Balochistan. The arduous task of implementation faces us. Many a times in the past good plans have been undone by ineffective implementation. We will ensure that BESP (2020-25) does not meet a similar end. The Plan itself has detailed implementation, reporting and monitoring mechanisms. These will be strictly followed.
This is another opportunity to break the vicious cycle of low participation and low quality of education in the province. It will not be easy but the Government has the will and commitment to achieve it. We will ensure that there is a coordinated effort from all the stakeholders. These include the Department of Secondary Education, Department of Colleges, Technical & Higher Education, Department of Social Welfare, Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (B-TEVTA) and the Department of Health. The most critical symbiotic relationship is with the Department of Social Welfare. The effort to reduce out of school children and improve literacy in the province will require a combined, and coordinated, work by the Departments of Secondary Education and the Department of Social Welfare.
As the Minister of Education I will personally oversee the implementation of BESP (2020-25) and coordination with stakeholders to achieve the desired results. I see it as imperative to the development of Balochistan and its future.

Message of Honorable Secretary Secondary Education Department Balochistan

It gives me immense pleasure that Policy Planning and Implementation Unit (PPIU), an important organ of Secondary Education Department, has developed second phase of Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP: 2020-25). It has been built on learning from the previous Balochistan Education Sector Plan (2013-18) and detailed consultations in districts and the provincial headquarters with stakeholders. The BESP (2020-25) improves on its predecessor in a number of areas. The Plan has introduced new strategies to address the challenges faced by the Education Sector in the province under thematic areas of Learning, Access & Participation, Data & Research, Governance & Management, and Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Furthermore, the reading challenge has been brought to the front as a most critical problem of education in Balochistan. Child welfare has also been focused as a subset of learning. The area of research as central to continuous improvement has been highlighted in detail with specific recommendations. Learning design as a composite of scheme of studies, curriculum and textbooks has been discussed at length and underlined as the central cause of the learning crisis.
I am grateful to the leadership of all stakeholders particularly of Planning & Development Department, Finance Department, Social Welfare Department, Colleges, Technical & Higher Education Department and B-TEVTA for their effective participation in the development of BESP (2020-25). I am specially thankful to Additional Chief Secretary (Development) for his overview and approval of BESP (2020-25).
I laud the participation of officers, teachers and students in the districts and all the attached departments of the Secondary Education Department. I also congratulate the then leadership and team of PPIU for the successful consultations, documentation and preparation of the final product.
The next challenge is of implementation of BESP (2020-25) in its true spirit. PPIU will again lead a key role in the implementation and progress tracking of BESP (2020-25). Together we will make an effort to give the children of Balochistan their right to quality education and a bright future.

Honorable Mr Dawood Khilji Additional Secretary and Focal Person PPIU Secondary Education Department Balochistan

Policy Planning and Implementation Unit prepared the first sector plan for Balochistan. In 2019 it was given the challenge of preparation of the second version. Given a new team and leadership it was a steep task. The challenge was compounded by the time constraints given. The PPIU team can be proud of manner in which they rose to the occasion. They worked closely with the consulting team, participated in designing the process, consultations in the districts and in Quetta and provided continuous inputs to detailed discussions that resulted in honing of the final document. The fact the Sector Plan was cleared by GPE, external appraiser and the ACS development with minimal changes reflects the professional commitment of all concerned.
I thank UNICEF and the consulting team for the their valuable work which ensured the timely production of a quality sector plan. I am, especially, grateful to Mariela Buonomo Zabletta of International Institute of Education Plan (UNESCO) for developing critical capacity of PPIU and other teams and providing a clear framework for plan development.
I am confident that implementation of BESP 2020-25 will be undertaken with an equally dedicated professionalism. I wish the implementers the best of luck.