Challenges being faced by O-levels and A-levels Students in Pakistan

Matriculation examination system suffers in Pakistan from several serious academic ills including rote learning, inflated marks, paper leakages, corruption and in-efficiencies in examination boards, and non-acceptability of their certificates at international level.

 In addition to all of these, students graduating from Matric and FSc lack essential skills such as reading abilities, comprehension, writing proficiency and have poor ability to apply mathematical and other skills because of rote learning. This often means that these students are often unable to achieve their true potential later during their academic and professional careers. 

 Due to all these reasons, many parents switch their children from matric/F.Sc system to O-Levels and A-Levels. However, here again they face several challenges including :-

 1). Very high fees being charged by schools, and little or no regulation from British Council or CAIE over fees and quality of education

 2). Students are being forced to complete O-levels in 4 years

 3). Students are also sometimes forced to take non-science subjects because schools don't have good faculty in science subjects

 4). Lower percentage scores after IBCC conversion resulting in extremely poor success rate in getting admissions in top medical/engineering schools for O-levels and A-levels students

 Most schools in Pakistan complete O-levels in 4 years(8th, 9th, 10th and 11th). Many of these schools do not allow their students to appear in O-levels examination at earlier dates to complete O-levels in 3 years or less.

This one size fit all approach is not in the best interest of advancing cause of education and seriously compromises students ability to pursue their educational dreams. 

Schools ought to offer extra courses, or advance courses to bright and highly driven students who learn at a more aggressive pace to help them go further and shine brighter rather than discouraging them !

In such cases, students have to attempt their O-Levels examinations as private candidates. Some schools in Pakistan chose to discourage bright students from pursuing their dreams by adapting a number of regressive policies.

Students going for private O-level and A-level examinations are discriminated against by some schools by denying them various certificates and recommendation letters needed by students for their later studies!

 Spending longer time in O-levels in these Pakistani schools means that O-level students are left behind by one year as compared to other candidates who appear in matriculation examination. This is specially repressive and regretful step, when it is being enforced by schools against the will of the students and their parents.

 Completing O-levels in 4 years would mean that their matriculation batch mates would be their seniors at University levels and careers by one to two years depending on various factors including time spent in A-levels.

It is also more challenging for O and A levels students to get higher percentage scores due to IBCC conversion as compared to Matric and F.Sc students who are now routinely getting over 90% marks.

Punjab government is planning to introduce grading system similar to O-level and A-level in matric which would remove the anomaly and may bring matric system at par with the world.

https://propakistani.pk/2019/07/03/punjab-is-replacing-marks-with-a-grading-system-for-matric-intermediate/

The equivalent marks are calculated using the following criteria used by the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) :-

This is despite the fact that O and A level students having better knowledge and skills in key areas including reading comprehension, writing skills, practical abilities in arts and science subjects.

Poor percentage scores because of above conversion criteria make it impossible for O-level and A-level students to get admissions in top engineering and medical institutions and compromises their academic and career success in most cases. 

It is virtually impossible for O-levels and A-levels students to get straight A's or A*'s in all of their subjects; and even if they do there is little chance that they would get admission in top Medical/Engineering program in Pakistan because top students from Matric/FSc get over 90% marks.

While Pakistani institutions deny O-levels and A-levels students level playing field, these students win scholarships from institutions in other countries, and often leave Pakistan for good !

 Strength of O-levels as education systems is in its flexibility and diversity of subjects available to students. Internationally O-levels is done in 2 years, however Pakistani schools strongly discourage students from completing O-levels in two years.

Most private schools offering O-levels discriminate against higher ability students by denying them opportunity to complete O-levels in two years or take extra subjects of their choice.

 This is against the spirit of supporting higher ability students who can complete their O-levels in lesser time or want to attempt more diverse subjects on their own if school cannot support them. This is also against fundamental right of students to make independent choices in their academic career, and to experiment with subject areas earlier in their lives.

Most parents/students in Pakistan don't opt for O-levels and A-levels system despite appreciation for its qualities due to non-level playing field in terms of grading and resulting lack of opportunities to get admission in medical/engineering institutions of choice despite getting top grades and all the effort done by very bright and hard working students.

 My question is what kind of support is available from CAIE and British Council to students and parents to help them with their dream of completing O-levels in two years rather than 3 or more; against pressure from schools who would not let them do it.

CAIE and British Council do not have an adequate framework for regulating, monitoring and grading schools offering O-levels and A-levels programs.

Such a regulatory framework if in place would monitor quality of faculty, retention of faculty, faculty training, student feedback and school policies.

Conclusion

 It is the responsibility of the British Council and CAIE to work with schools, students/parents and local authorities including IBCC to understand all the issues; and play pro-active role to resolve all these issues being faced. There should be a system with checks and balances to ensure that schools have qualified and trained faculty, adequate facilities, and rights of the students are safeguarded.

Private schools offering O-levels and A-levels should also play their role and work with IBCC to ensure that conversion of grades is fair and truly reflects O-levels and A-levels grades in comparison with Matric and F.Sc grades which are highly inflated.