EU, UNICEF Support Strengthens Education in Balochistan

EU and UNICEF Support Strengthens Balochistan’s Education System

More Than 700,000 Students Benefit from €17.4 Million Programme; Digital School Census Completed

Quetta: Provincial Minister for Education Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani stated that, in line with the vision of Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti, a decade-long partnership with the European Union and UNICEF has played a vital role in strengthening the province’s education system and bringing positive change to the lives of millions of children. She made these remarks while addressing a ceremony held in Quetta to mark the successful completion of the five-year Balochistan Education Support Programme (BES-II).

Digitalization of Educational Infrastructure and Major Reforms

The historic programme, implemented from 2021 to 2026, received €17.4 million in financial assistance from the European Union. According to the Education Minister, the initiative introduced several landmark reforms for the first time in the province:

Digital Monitoring: Establishment of Balochistan’s first digital school census and a real-time school monitoring system.

Teacher Training: More than 10,600 teachers received modern professional training through a virtual academy.

Community Participation: Around 3,000 Parent-Teacher School Management Committees were activated, involving more than 16,000 local community members.

Re-enrollment Campaign for Thousands of Out-of-School Children

Secretary Schools Balochistan Lal Jan Jaffar informed the ceremony that the programme improved the learning environment for more than 150,000 students studying in 1,230 schools across the province. In addition, through short courses and special initiatives, more than 22,000 children who had previously dropped out of school were brought back into the education system, the majority of whom were girls.

Gender Equality and Emergency Educational Assistance

Overall, the mega project provided quality education opportunities to approximately 760,000 children, including more than 335,000 girls.

Additionally:

• More than 6,600 flood-affected children received emergency educational support.
• More than 72,000 adolescent girls were provided with health and hygiene facilities.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Dr. Sebastian Laurion, Acting Head of the European Union Mission, and Pernille Ironside, UNICEF Representative, praised the leadership of the Government of Balochistan and reaffirmed their commitment to continuing international cooperation to ensure equal, quality, and sustainable education for every child in the province.