Higher standards

In Pakistan there are two main exam systems at the secondary school level: matriculation/intermediate and the O/A-Level system. The latter is the most common due to its low cost, but it lacks value as the curriculum has been unchanged for many years and many of the courses are not very useful. During final exams, most students are able to memorize the answers without using much critical thinking.

The O/A-Level system’s curriculum and exams are approved by the British Council. Though it is, in my opinion, superior in terms of quality, only a minority of students can access this system due to the high fees of the schools that offer it. I believe that the O/A-level system, with some changes, should become the standard, mainstream system and it should be made cheaper so that it is accessible to the majority of students.

Areesha Rafiq

Karachi