In Kalat district, the literacy ratio is very low. According to the census report of 1981 the overall literacy ratio was 6.2% in the district, 19.4% in the urban area and 5% in the rural areas. The female literacy rate in the rural area was less than one percent. According to the BEMIS report for the year 1996, the total number of primary schools in the district was 248 for boys and 26 for girls. The total number of students enrolled in these schools were 11,780 boys and 3,969 girls. The total number of middle schools in Kalat district in the same year was 22 for boys and 5 for girls with 2,037 male and 366 female students. The total number of high schools in Kalat district during 1996 was 11 for boys and one for girls with a total enrolment of 754 boys and 101 girl students.

The number of primary, middle and high school teachers were 411, 273 and 240 respectively during the year 1994-95. Besides, 3 private schools (2 primary, 1 middle) are also functioning in Kalat. The medium of instruction in government schools is Urdu; it is English in private schools. However, in the primary schools, teachers also use Brahvi language to explain lessons. In Kalat, there are two intermediate colleges, one for girls and the other for boys. There is also an elementary teacher training college in the city.

As it is clear from the figures of students enrolment, the number of girl students is far less than that of boys. This is due to the cultural and tribal characteristics of the area. However, overall enrolment, of girls has increased over the years.

The government has established a net-work of schools to provide formal education to the children. The system comprises three levels of schools i.e., primary, middle and high schools. The school which runs classes from 1^st to 5 is primary school, that which runs classes from 6^th to 8^th is the middle school, whereas in high school classes from 6^th -10^th are held. Some high schools have primary and middle sections as well.

The education system is under the control of the provincial government. The District Education Officers (DEO), one male and one female, supervise the educational activities in the schools.

Since 1993 mosque schools have been merged with government primary schools. There are separate directorates for primary schools, high schools and colleges at provincial level.

Primary Schools are the basic educational institutions of our society where the formal learning process of a child starts. Primary schools play a vital role in character building of a child. In the previous paragraphs the number of primary schools and enrolment figures can be found. In the rural areas of the district most of the schools are run by a single teacher. It has been observed that the majority of teachers do not have the proper teaching attitude and skills. The primary schools are deprived of basic necessities such as school furniture, books, drinking water and toilets. The mosque schools have been merged with the primary schools of the government. The madrassas are also functioning in the area. A Madrassa is a school which is attached to a mosque and is run by a religious organization. It is meant to exclusively impart religious education. Since the female education in the district is in a very dire state, an NGO, "Society for Community Support," financed through a World Bank funded program, is working towards promoting education among females. Until now, they have been able to establish 35 female schools in the area with the help of the community.

No vocational training school exists in Kalat district. However, an elementary teachers training college is providing training to the school teachers at Kalat. At present (1997) 60 teachers are enrolled for their training.

It was a problem for the students of the rural areas how to continue their education after primary level as there were no schools for higher classes. To solve this problem many primary schools were upgraded to middle school, which meant students could continue their education up to 8^th class in the same school. At present 22 middle schools for boys and 5 middle schools for girls are functioning in the district.

In the rural areas, mainly due to non availability of buildings and teachers, the performance of the middle schools is unsatisfactory. Students lose their interest in education due to lack of interest of teachers in teaching and lack of other facilities. The dropout ratio in these schools is 45%, which is very high.

In Kalat district 11 boys high schools and one girls high school are functioning. These high schools hold classes from 6^th to 10^th. These are also known as secondary schools. The secondary education is completed in five years. The 10th class (Matric) examinations are conducted by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Balochistan (BSEB). The discipline and overall academic environment of urban high schools are much better than in schools in rural areas.

Besides public schools, 3 private school are also functioning in Kalat. The performance and educational standard of private schools are better, but the fee and other expenditures are very high. These costs imply that private schools are beyond the reach of a common person.

In Kalat district two intermediate colleges are functioning, one for boys and the other for girls. Enrolment in the girls college is very limited. This is because parents do not allow their girls to acquire higher education due to socio-cultural and traditional values of the area. The girls college is housed in the building of the boys college. Teaching staff is also the same as that of the boys college. Both colleges are headed by a principal and administered by the Directorate of Colleges, Quetta.

The school administration is controlled by the Headmaster, the Assistant Headmaster and other senior teachers of the school. One clerk and a peon also serve in the high schools.

(a) Primary School

The school buildings do generally not fulfil the basic requirements. Primary school building for boys consists of only two class rooms and a veranda. These schools are not provided with toilet and drinking water facilities. The school building has usually no boundary walls to protect it from outside interference. The girls’ schools consists of two class rooms with veranda, toilet facilities and boundary walls.

(b) Middle School

The middle school for boys and girls consists of five class rooms with veranda and toilet facilities. The hygienic condition of toilets is unsatisfactory. All the girls’ schools have compound walls, while some of the boys schools have a compound wall as well.

(c) High School

The high school buildings for boys and girls consist of fifteen to twenty class rooms, one office for the Headmaster, one library with a limited collection of old and out-dated books, one laboratory with limited equipment for practical work. Toilet facilities are available but water is a common problem everywhere. The condition of school buildings in urban areas is comparatively better than in rural areas. The girls’ school buildings are better maintained than the boys’ school buildings.

The provincial government is overall responsible for carrying out educational activities in the area. The private sectors activities are limited to urban areas. International donors are also providing financial assistance to increase the literacy rate, particularly targeting girls.

Education is one of the most powerful and effective instruments of change and development. Its importance for achieving development objectives can not be overemphasized. Unfortunately, in Kalat district this sector has been neglected. The establishment of schools and construction of the buildings are in many cases carried out on political basis. Politicians and tribal chiefs are involved in the appointment and transfer of teachers. The majority of teachers does not take interest in teaching. The situation at primary level (which is the base of education) is the worst. Most teachers are untrained and unskilled. Consequently, they do not perform their duties properly.

It has also been observed that in the remote areas the school buildings are being used for other purposes by influential persons. Many school buildings are in poor condition, lacking doors and windows. No attention is paid to their maintenance.

The drop-out ratio at primary level in the rural areas is 50% which is very alarming. This is due to the irresponsible attitude of the teachers towards their students on one hand, and due to lack of interest of the parents toward their children’s education on the other.

Another phenomenon which stands out in the education sector of the district is the extraordinarily low percentage of enrolment of the girl students. This is evident from the fact that the number of girls schools is only 32 with 4,436 students as compared to 281 schools for boys with 12,582 students. The female students are only 23% of all students in the district. One of the reasons for this is that there are not enough girl’s schools in the district. The main reason remains to be the cultural and tribal characteristics of the area.

The standard of education is very poor in the area. According to the public opinion the government authorities do not pay any attention in improving the standard of education. The government girls’ schools and private schools are providing comparatively better education, but they are confined to urban areas. The education standards of government schools may be improved by providing training to teachers, proper supervision and guidance of school administration and staff. The political involvement should be discouraged in this sector. The formation of Parent Teacher and Students Association (PTAS) will also assist in achieving the goals of education. This will also encourage the parents to send their daughters to schools for education.

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