Rote to reason

The Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) examination services are at least 40 times less expensive than the 'O' and 'A' level exams, and its graduates are welcomed by some of the finest universities of the world. “Why is Pakistan reluctant to learn from a brilliant examination system, performing an outstanding task, in its own backyard?” argue Naeem Sadiq & Rabia Azfar Nizami in a recent op-ed. The recent initiative of Pakistan's Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC) to seek help from AKU-EB for implementation of the minimum exam standards is praiseworthy. Established in 2002, the AKU-EB is a world class examination system whose programmes are based on the national curriculum of Pakistan, aimed at being accessible to both English and Urdu medium schools. With the affiliation of over 400 schools, the AKU-EB represents an indigenous educational movement created for Pakistani students, with an emphasis on concept-based learning and a conscious rejection of rote memorisation that plagues many Pakistani schools today.