As a parent one knows how significant educating a child is and how it can shape their future. However, as private schools expand their roots in the country, parents are faced with a dilemma of selecting best curriculum for their child. There is a lot of confusion regarding which curriculum offers what. Also, with large number of candidates applying for foreign universities each year, the issue of acceptance is another factor that makes understanding of curriculums even more significant.
This article aims at simplifying implication of each curriculum currently being offered in Pakistan, their approach, acceptability and other benefits or limitations. With deeper understanding of each curriculum, parents can make a smarter choice for their children depending on their priorities.
What is a Curriculum?
Curriculum refers to learning experience which covers philosophy, content, pedagogy skills, learning outcomes and assessment tools. In Pakistani context, curriculum can also be referred to as educational board where most common boards we are familiar with include Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Cambridge International Education (CIE), and American Curriculum. Now there are emerging branches of curriculums including IGCSE under Cambridge System, Agha Khan Examination Board under BISE, and latest STEM education.
Let’s dig further into each of these curriculums to understand their distinguishing factors.
National Curriculum/ BISE
The National Curriculum is the most commonly used curriculum in Pakistan where main board is BISE and for areas under Federal Administration, FBISE. Moreover, Agha Khan Examination Board (AKEB) is another private board operating under BISE.
- BISE, and FBISE conducts two main examinations: SSC (Matriculation for Grade IX-X) and HSSC (Intermediate for Grade XI-XII).
- BISE, FBISE and AKEB are recognized all over Pakistan. SSC and HSSC equivalencies are accepted globally except for some international universities.
- BISE has its provincial representatives from each province where standards of curriculum, evaluation and assessments vary based on individual provincial setups. Federal BISE (FBISE) is considered as the best board among all with good standards for education and assessment methods. Here is a list of schools and colleges affiliated with Federal Board Examination.
- Several Pakistani schools abroad are also affiliated with Federal Board of Examination in Pakistan and promote National Curriculum.
- BISE is more traditional in approach and follows the National Curriculum developed under Ministry of Education and Professional Training (Mofept).
- At grade IX, students tend to choose from streams of science, humanities or technical group followed subsequently in Grade XI and XII from pre-medical, pre-engineering, computer science and humanities for future under graduation degree.
- The 12th grade syllabus under National Curriculum is mostly text-book based and does not offer depth of core subjects. However, most private schools in Pakistan now offer integrated approach to learning and teaching philosophies of international standard.
Read More: Highlights from Single National Curriculum developed by MOFEPT.
Cambridge International Examination (CIE)
The Cambridge International Examination, mostly referred to as O and A levels, is the second most popular and widely adopted education system in Pakistan and is followed by more than 150 countries around the globe. There is a sharp rise in private schools in Pakistan adopting this system of education.
- CIE offers education from 5 years of age to 19 years and covers all major aspects of education including science, arts, technology, engineering, literature and commerce.
- CIE is considered to have curriculum that has a wider angle of perspectives and liberal approach. The learning approach is broader in terms of knowledge acquisition, problem solving and investigative skills.
- The curriculum for CIE is more advanced and up to date compared to National Curriculum. Moreover, CIE also allows students to pick subjects of their choice and interest in A levels instead of fixed subjects in BISE.
- The examination system is also different from BISE as they are based on knowledge and understanding instead of rote memorization. Most of the CIE papers are composed of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).
- Despite claims of extremely effective teaching methodology, CIE system has given sharp rise to tuition system in Pakistan and parents have to pay double fees in terms of school education and after school tuitions.
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
IGCSE is offered by limited schools running under CIE system and is based on similar Cambridge curriculum. However, IGCSE is more international-focused curriculum which offers over 70 subjects in 30 languages to enable students to continue education in various languages. IGCSE includes both core curriculum subjects as well as many extended subjects. This system is more suitable for students whose parents have more traveling on cards depending on their jobs or businesses.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
IB system is one of the emerging education systems in Pakistan that is gaining steady popularity among elite schools. Most of the schools offering CIE currently are now developing separate IB schools or sections within the campus with different fee structures and teachers.
- IB system was developed in Geneva, Switzerland to cater to needs of international students and provide them with a single standard of education for each level of learning groups. IB system is considered to be one of the most advanced education system available in Pakistan.
- IB system varies from other education systems in various aspects. The main aim of IB system is to create useful global citizens who are aware of their role in becoming better learners and navigators of planet. The curriculum of IB is a lot more elaborated, activity-based and reflective than BISE and CIE.
- Key aims of IB system is to make students Inquirers, Open-minded, Thinkers, Risk takers, Principled, Well-informed, Better Communicators, and Compassionate.
- IB system has three main programs: Early Years Programme (EYP) for children aged 3-12 years, Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students aged 11-16 years and Diploma Programme (DP) for students aged 16-19 years.
- IB system offers various subjects to students including, Science, Mathematics, Language, Literature, Design and Arts, Physical and Psychological education and Humanities subjects. Schools offering IB system often have great extracurricular activities as well for wholesome development of students.
- Despite the explanations for distinguishing factors in IB system and student-centered approach and activity based learning that is promoted by IB schools, the actual implementation of IB curriculum is still unclear in several schools. The interactive system of learning between subjects is available in few schools but not all and parents need to investigate in depth about the actual approach to learning in each individual school.
- IB system unlike other education systems is quite expensive and its selection is highly based on personal likes and dislikes of parents and students, their wish to stay abroad or in Pakistan and affordability factor.
STEM education
STEM schools are the latest entrant in education system of Pakistan and many parents are still unfamiliar with the term. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Read More: Emergence of STEM schools in Pakistan
- STEM schools in Pakistan are mostly Exploratory STEM schools where schools have a traditional education setup, however, STEM concepts are given due significance. In these schools, frequent events like science fair, robotics classes and IT sessions are conducted on regular basis to allow participation of students who are interested in these areas and have a potential to further excel in these fields.
- STEM uses an inter-disciplinary and applied approach to learning which means that technology, science and engineering factors are incorporated in every relevant subject. For instance, to understand weather system, factors of technology, science and social studies are combined for real-life understanding.
- Unlike IB schools, STEM schools have a more clear approach to activity-based learning where real-life examples and experiments are more prominent part of curriculum.
- The overall curriculum consists of all subjects including Urdu, Islamiat, English, Science, Social Studies, ICT and Mathematics.
- Robotics, Programming, Coding and Artificial Intelligence are taught as regular subjects instead of extra classes or clubs.
Most STEM schools in Pakistan are affiliated with IB system of education and students have an option to opt for BISE or CIE after 8th Grade.
