AKU Examination Board - the First in Private Sector

High Quality Examination Board Based on National Curriculum for Secondary and Higher Education

In view of requests received from several schools in the private sector, and after careful examination of the nature and effects of the current examination system in Pakistan, AKU established an examination board - the first in the private sector, in November 2002. The Ordinance establishing the AKU Examination Board (AKU-EB) was approved by the Government of Pakistan, and provides for full credit and recognition in Pakistan for the certificates awarded by AKU-EB. The establishment of AKU-EB offers an alternative to the examination boards in the public sector, and is in accordance with the government's policy to introduce an independent examining body through public-private partnership.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as part of Educational System Reforms and consistent with the public-private policy of government of Pakistan, showed considerable interest in the objectives of AKU-EB. The USAID approved funding of US$ 4.5 million for infrastructure development and operations for the Board's initial three years. This has laid the foundation for future  external and internal financial support that will be necessary to ensure continuity. 

At the signing ceremony of the cooperative agreement between AKU and USAID, held in August 2003, Federal Minister for Education, Zobaida Jalal referred to the initiation of the AKU-EB as a landmark for Pakistan's education system and said "The AKU Examination Board, being a pioneer, has a great deal of responsibility for attaining the milestones of  quality, technology and public service (expected of it)." Echoing similar sentiments, US Ambassador to Pakistan, Nancy Powell, said, "Aga Khan University has a unique     capability to develop and operate an independent examination board.  It is a chartered university in Pakistan with a world class international reputation."

President Kassim-Lakha expressed the hope that the Examination Board, "by providing students, teachers and parents an alternative to the current examination system will also act as a role model and a benchmark for quality enhancement throughout the country." USAID Country Director, Mark Ward and Chairman of AKU Board of Trustees, Ambassador Saidullah Khan Dehlavi also attended the ceremony.

Over the years, students, teachers, parents and educators in Pakistan have been seeking a reliable system of examinations for secondary and higher secondary education. The Secondary School Certificate (SSC), taken at grades 9 and 10, is a terminal qualification for most school-leavers who then search for employment. It is also a basis for admission to higher secondary (intermediate) education, grades 11 and 12, leading to the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC). High scores in the HSC enable selection to most sought-after professional colleges and jobs; therefore the stakes in the examinations for those aspiring to higher education and professional careers are very high.

Numerous schools had requested that AKU consider the provision of an alternative option to the examinations of the board of secondary and intermediate education in Pakistan than the far less affordable British examination system. AKU undertook a feasibility study in 1998-99, which carefully examined the nature and effects of the current public examinations system.

The study showed that while the objectives of the national curriculum were appropriate for SSC and HSC, the examinations assessed recall of prescribed texts rather than attainment of the curricular objectives. Since schools and parents judge academic performance by students' scores and, consequentially, access to higher education and future earning capacity, schools and colleges emphasise rote learning, largely neglecting the  importance of understanding concepts and applying knowledge. This mode of learning had been carried upstream into higher education and downstream into primary education. The repetitious nature of the examinations and high stakes in the scores encouraged plagiarism and corruption and contributed to an overall decline in the quality of education. Preparation for the UK Boards' equivalent General Certificate of Education 'O' and 'A' level examinations conducted in Pakistan was noticeably different and preferred by those who could afford the cost. Consequently, the number of candidates for these examinations had increased five fold in the preceding decade. 

The feasibility study concluded that continued indifference to the understanding of concepts and application of knowledge is detrimental to the development of individuals and societies. It therefore recommended the creation of a school examination service to the Board of Trustees of the University. The Board approved the recommendation, subject to approval by the Government of Pakistan and initial external funding until revenue from examination fees could cover the cost of operations. Government approval was obtained in the form of an ordinance establishing the AKU Examination Board (AKU-EB), in November 2002. The ordinance provided full credit and recognition in Pakistan of the certificates awarded for achievement up to the higher secondary level of education or its equivalent. It provided the option of AKU-EB examinations to government schools in Federal Administered Territories and cantonments as well as private candidates and students in non-government schools in Pakistan. The ordinance also recorded that AKU-EB may expand its services to government schools in the provinces, subject to approval by the provincial governments, as well as abroad.

The goals of the AKU-EB are to promote improvement of the quality of education in schools through examinations for the SSC and HSC, training of teachers, and development of supplementary materials; to design and offer high quality public examinations based on the national curriculum for secondary and higher secondary education; and to promote the development of expertise in educational assessment and tests in Pakistan. The AKU-EB will offer high quality examinations, conforming to international standards, in English and Urdu to affiliated government and non-government schools, at an affordable cost. Schools will be encouraged to support a system of evaluation that emphasises comprehension, logical thinking and problem solving. Examinations will require understanding and application of knowledge and skills rather than regurgitation of information. The AKU-EB will provide reliable assessments with predictive value for gauging the attainment of the objectives of the national curriculum. It will serve the purposes of certification of competences for school-leavers and preparation for higher education. It will also serve the critical national function of capacity building and human resource development for educational assessment and tests.

The AKU-EB, in association with the University's Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) will coordinate training for the teachers of affiliated schools so that they can guide their students' learning appropriately. AKU-IED will also advise on the use of support materials for learning.

The AKU-EB commenced work in July 2003, with the appointment of Dr. Thomas Christie, former Dean of Education, University of Manchester, as its first Director, and expects to offer the first SSC examination by the summer of 2006 and the HSC examination in 2008. 

For more information, please visit:http://www.aku.edu/news/archives/usaid.shtml

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