International Education Guide - Enterprise and Advanced Education ...

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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GUIDE for the assessment of education from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
By passing all subjects in the board examination, students
receive the Secondary School Certificate, also called
Matriculation Certificate, which is required for entry into
higher secondary school. The SSC holder may also seek
admission into vocational and technical programs such as the
three-year Diploma of Associate Engineer (DAE). In addition
to the SSC, students also receive a detailed marks sheet.
Teaching at secondary schools officially requires possession
of a one-year Bachelor of Education degree, with entry
based on possession of a first bachelor’s degree (for example,
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science).
Higher Secondary Education
(Grades 11 and 12)
Higher secondary education lasts two years (Grades 11
and 12), with entry based on possession of the Secondary
School Certificate, and is geared to children aged 15 to 16.
It is offered mainly at higher secondary schools. Though
the practice of offering higher secondary education at
intermediate and degree colleges is being phased out, several
older terms are still used, such as intermediate stage (higher
secondary stage), FA (Faculty of Arts—humanities group
of higher secondary education) and FS or FSc (Faculty of
Science—science group of higher secondary education).
In 2005, 853,535 students were enrolled at 2,996 higher
secondary schools and intermediate colleges.
The language of instruction is Urdu. Students must study
a few compulsory subjects plus additional subjects based
on a chosen course group. On completion of their studies,
they sit examinations administered by the various Boards
of Intermediate and Secondary Education in order to
receive the Higher Secondary Certificate or Intermediate
Examination Certificate.
The organization of course groups changes with each
revision of the national curriculum. The scheme of studies
for different course groups prescribed by the 1995 and 2000
curricula are described below.
Scheme of Studies, 1995 Curriculum
The 1995 curriculum mandated four compulsory subjects
for all students, worth a total maximum of 500 marks.
Compulsory Subject
Mark
Urdu 200
English 200
Islamic Education 50
Pakistan Studies 50
Subtotal 500
Students may choose the science group (which includes
several sub-groups), the humanities group, the medical
technology group, or the home economics group (for girls),
each having additional subjects worth 600 marks. The
Higher Secondary Certificate Examination, therefore, has a
maximum total of 1100 marks.
Table 16 shows the scheme of studies for the various course
groups, as prescribed in the 1995 national curriculum.
Scheme of Studies, 2000 Curriculum
As with the 1995 curriculum, the 2000 curriculum
mandated four compulsory subjects for all students, worth a
total maximum of 500 marks.
Compulsory Subject
Mark
Urdu or Pakistan Culture (for foreigners) 200
English 200
Islamic Education or Civics (for non-Muslims) 50
Pakistan Studies 50
Subtotal 500
Table 18 shows the scheme of studies, in addition to the
four compulsory subjects, for various course groups, as
prescribed in the 2000 national curriculum.