Breaking barriers to educational access: Gender-free primary education as a policy strategy for reducing out-of-school children in Balochistan

Abstract

Educational exclusion in Balochistan shows a significant number of out-of-school children (OOSC) attributed to social inequality, lack of infrastructure due to dispersed settlements, and the absence of teachers in many areas. This research addresses the Gender-Free Primary Education (GFPE) Plan, which introduces a gender-inclusive, community-based primary school model for teaching Grades 1 to 5 and employs female teachers. This study utilized mixed methods with an explanatory sequential design. The methods included the analysis of pertinent documents, administration of a survey to 287 education management stakeholders from all 12 districts, and conducting 20 key informant interviews. The survey results showed that 78.4% of the respondents fully supported the establishment of GFPE, and 81.2% of the respondents from the dispersed districts stated that GFPE would reduce OOSC by 20% in a three-year period. Support varied across the districts, and ANOVA demonstrated significant results, F (2, 284) = 18.42, p < .001. Safety, the availability of female teachers, the cost of the service, and community framing were cited by the respondents as the main barriers to GFPE. GFPE is affordable and culturally negotiable, and with the appropriate resources and safeguards, could be implemented in order to improve the access to primary education for girls in Balochistan.