Edexcel allowed to set up centres for O Level and A Level exams at 14 schools

The federal education ministry has allowed Edexcel (Pearson) after the Cambridge Assessment International Education to set up O Level and A Level examination centres directly in 14 schools in Pakistan without the British Council.

Meanwhile another British institution, Learning Resource Network (LRN), has sought permission from the federal ministry to operate in Pakistan. This will be the third British institution after Cambridge and Edexcel to give affiliation to Pakistan's educational institutions. According to an official of the ministry of education, due to the lack of confidence in the Pakistani education system, more than two hundred thousand students take the O and A level exams every year and according to a conservative estimate, every year more than Rs25 billion is transferred to Britain in the form of examination fees.

The 14 schools where examination centres would be set up under Pearson include the Beaconhouse PECHS Karachi, Beaconhouse Margalla Islamabad, City School PAF Karachi, Roots School System Islamabad, Froebels International School Rawalpindi, Froebels International School Lahore, Head Start School Islamabad, Beacon Light Academy Karachi, Cornerstone School Lahore, City School Derakhshan Campus Karachi, DHA CSS Karachi, Cedar Karachi, Beaconhouse Ring Road Lahore and Beaconhouse Defence Lahore.