A mighty task: Improving the quality of female education in Balochistan

“Access to quality education is one of the greatest issues faced in Balochistan, particularly due to how scattered the population is. The provincial female literacy rate is very low, which is something that I have made my personal mission to address. As principal of a school with nearly 2000 female students and 148 teachers, I am responsible for the bulk of administrative decisions, financial decisions, monitoring on behalf of my department, assessment decisions, and even co-curricular activities. In a position of such leadership, I consider it my duty to promote the cause of girl’s education to the best of my ability. Indeed, since joining two years ago, I consider one of my greatest achievements to have been establishing ECE (i.e. Early Childhood Education) sections for young students. Today nearly 450 children have benefitted from this endeavour, and it has transformed the environment of our classrooms

Despite this, we have also faced an issue of students dropping out when we conduct examinations. I believe that this is an issue that can only be solved by strengthening our system of assessment, which is why the Aga Khan University Examination Board’s training is such a valuable opportunity for us. If we are able to apply what we have learned here in its original spirit, I am confident that the bulk of our academic issues would be solved; this is also why the presence of school leadership at this training has been very gratifying to see. Part of what keeps this training so engaging is the fact that we are encouraged to practically apply all of the new concepts that we learn, which helps our understanding immensely. I have also observed a change in the behaviour of my own colleagues and fellow participants, as there is a greater inclination among them to ask deeper, probing questions that facilitate an environment of knowledge gain among all of us. It is my belief that the task of ensuring school quality cannot solely be left to teachers and administrators: There is a need for community-based monitoring. I want to see parents and families involved in their children’s education, and also ensure accountability through their presence. My ultimate goal is to help build a school environment where girls from all nearby districts can feel safe in coming to, and families can be reassured that their daughters are receiving a good education!” Farhana Nawaz, Principal, Government Girls Higher Secondary School Railway Colony, District Education Office, Quetta