At the secondary level, Pakistan’s public education system faces a number of persistent issues with concerns over the quality of assessment practices, prevalent cheating in examinations and apprehensions about the quality of teaching undermining trust in public schooling.

As Pakistan’s first private university-led national examination board, AKU-EB is known for its emphasis on developing higher order cognitive skills in students and for being a pioneer in introducing valid, reliable and fair assessment practices. By extending such innovations into the government sector through public-private partnerships, AKU-EB aims to bring about systemic change in Pakistan’s educational landscape.

In Balochistan, AKU-EB, supported by funding from the European Union and UNICEF, is developing the capacity of the Balochistan Assessment and Examination Commission (BAEC) and other related governmental assessment bodies. The partnership seeks to share best practices in assessment to help develop an indigenous culture of research within the province.

“When BAEC was established we quickly realised that there was a need for capacity development within the institution,” says Ms Palwasha Badar Jalalzai, an education specialist from UNICEF. “Thus, we turned to AKU-EB for guidance and a year on, I consider it to have been the best solution. This has been an experiential learning process aimed at changing the system from the roots up.”

Approximately 110,000 students from Grade 5 and 8 taking examinations under BAEC stand to benefit immediately from this training, with a much larger number slated to follow.

In Sindh, AKU-EB has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sukkur IBA University, allowing public sector schools under IBA’s management to take on AKU-EB’s system for their students. These schools will thus stand as role models for other public sector institutions to emulate: a step towards uplifting education standards across the province.

AKU-EB has also translated its Middle School Programme (MSP) into Sindhi, as part of a pilot programme for several public schools that are administered by the Charter for Compassion (CFC). 

The MSP is a unique form of project-based, experiential learning that places an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning through the application of knowledge to real world situations. This initiative was aimed at improving student learning outcomes by conveying concepts in science, mathematics and social sciences to students in their local contexts. This approach has helped overcome barriers to learning caused by students facing difficulty in relating to the subject matter.

AKU-EB’s senior leadership have also been an active part of several government committees such as the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen as well as global bodies such as the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) recognition committee. AKU-EB’s emphasis on collaboration and standing out as a role-model for other educational institutions to aspire towards has enabled it to interact with and inspire educational leaders across Pakistan.

“Through continuous involvement with the public sector as a model examination board, as well as cooperation with partners on both national and international levels, AKU-EB’s aim is not only to offer quality education on its own but to help transform the educational landscape of Pakistan. All towards realising the vision of AKU’s Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan,” says AKU-EB’s director, Dr Shehzad Jeeva.