Course: Educational Assessment and Evaluation (8624) Semester:Spring,2021

Level: B.Ed. (2.5 and 1.5 Years)

 Name : Muhammad Mehran khan
Father Name: Ayaz Khan
Roll No : CB648955
Reg. No: 20ntk00091
Program:B.ed
Semester:Spring
Assignment No 1

Q.1 Highlight the importance of secondary education in Pakistan. And explain the specific
objectives if secondary, elementary and special education.

Ans. IMPORTANCE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Secondary education is an important segment in every person’s life. It also serves as a means to
potentially empower girls, raise a person’s economic status and reduce infant mortality rates as
these listed facts will show. Here are the 10 facts about the importance of secondary education.

1. Child marriage would reduce by 64 percent if all girls received a secondary education.
Moreover, early pregnancies would lower by 59 percent.
2. There are more than 226 million children around the world who do not attend secondary
school. If these children were all to go onto secondary education, then the under-five
mortality rate would fall by 49 percent. According to Ann M. Veneman, the Executive
Director of UNICEF, evidence shows that girls who receive an education are more likely to
take better care of their families, and in turn, reduce infant mortality rates.
 3. A person’s earnings should increase by 10 percent on average for each year of school
they attend. As a result, education may help boost economies and bring populations out of
poverty.
4. In 29 countries around the world, children must complete secondary school. Some
developed and developing countries will even pay for children to attend secondary school.
5. In just 40 years, a country could raise its Growth Domestic Product (GDP) per capita by
23 percent through equal access to education.
6. The attendance of all children to school would require $39 billion in funding every year.
7. Children often start to drop out of school after primary school. The decrease in
enrollment is as much as 10 percent worldwide and 34 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa.
8. In the year 2012, reports stated that there were 168 million child labor workers between the
ages of five and 17. This is one of the reasons a child might be unable to attend school.
9. In most developing countries, public school is not free for children to attend, as they
must purchase books, uniforms and other school supplies. Even factoring out the costs of
going to school, 67 million children still do not receive the right to attend. As a result,
millions of children do not obtain a proper education, making it difficult to find substantial
forms of employment. One solution to this has been Child Empowerment International, an
organization that works to provide education to children across the world by setting up day
schools for children without access to education, such as in refugee camps.
10. While girls are less likely to be able to attend school in the first place, boys are more
likely to repeat grades or drop out of school altogether. This is due to various issues within
their countries, such as restrictions on education for women or early marriage.

There are many issues regarding education and while

there are many projects working to decrease these issues, the issue is still at large. There is a
need for an international presence regarding the importance of secondary education, and
education itself.

WOMEN IN EDUCATION
In Pakistan, the rate of women’s literacy remains low
as compared to men’s. Women have a low percentage of participation in society. The status of
women in Pakistan especially in rural areas is low which is due to social and cultural obstacles.
One of the strangest aspects in Pakistan is that some place especially in northern tribal areas the
family is against of educating girls. The situation in NWFP and Baluchistan is most critical. The
rate of women literacy is 3-8%. Many organizations have opened such schools in these areas that
provide education. Unfortunately, the government has not taken any steps or measurements to
promote literacy to girls’ education in these areas. “In 1981 only 7% of women in rural areas
were literate, compared with 35% in urban areas. Among men, these rates were 27 and 57
percent, respectively”.

This backwardness of the women is due to the non-equal

treatment with them.In developed countries male female are considered equally. This
unequal treatment with women takes the country to backward. In Pakistan a system of
education with equal opportunities of education to male and female must be provided.

BACKGROUNG OF EDUCATION POLICY

In 2005, the Government of Pakistan has decided to
review the National Education Policy to achievable in the field of education to overcome the
problem regarding conflicts and achieve a knowledge that permits every person to realize
his duty.

This policy review will result in a policy which is

applicable to all providers of education in Pakistan in which formal and non-formal states are
included.

In Pakistan context the essential part is ideological bases

and historically provided by Islam as an ideology derived from Islamic religion. Islam is the
fundamental source of providing values for our daily life. It also provides an ethical conduct
which is an essential precondition for social development.

Pakistani education sector is the most neglected sector. The

literacy rate in Pakistan is 49.9% as of 2008. Education Policy has to be nationally developed
and owned. It is simplistic and unprofitable to prepare it at the federal level and thrust upon the
provinces. In Pakistan till now at least nine documents have issued that have the status of a
policy. Each policy was prepared with varying degree and involvement of the federating units.
Main development Challenges
Following are the main issues and challenges in adult literacy and non-formal education:

There is no separate budget allocation for adult literacy from total expenditures on
education; the 10% is spent on other, which includes adult literacy, NFBE, teachers
training, madrassahs reform, etc.
There is a lack of a coordination b/w organizational structure and institutional
mechanism for literacy.
Due to lack of training of teachers and of formalized curriculum and non-existence of
effective research in the field of literacy and continuing education the professional base
of adult literacy initiatives remained under developed.
..Local language is being ignored or not even taught to learn basic literacy.
..The link between basic and post literacy is missing in existing literacy programs’,
which resulted in bad situation on the part of learners and teachers.
The basic literacy need to be properly equipped with skill based post literacy programs,
that support learners/teachers to go beyond reading, writing and numerous generating
skills and sustainable improvement in their lives.
In the past years due to political instability and insecurity in the country creates a big
challenge for all nation.
Public private partnership is also a not properly linked in literacy programs; it needs to
be streamlined through proper facilitation and coordination.

Private sector in Education

Pakistan has highlighted some facts recently in new publications regarding primary
level education sector.

a. In Pakistan children rate going to private schools has rapidly growths to about 1/3rd of
total
b. Private schools are largely present in both urban and in rural areas.

These publications have also argued that

 a. In private schools the Quality of education is better than public (gauged through testing)
even when one controls for income and such factors, and
b. Cost of provision of this education, per child, is lower than in the public sector.

In education private investment is encouraging. At national and provincial levels there shall be
regulatory bodies to regulate activities and smooth functioning of privately-managed schools
and institutions of higher education through proper rules and regulations.

For setting-up of educational facilities by the private

sector a reasonable tax rebate shall be granted on the expenditure. Through Education
Foundations matching grants shall be provided for establishing educational institutions by the
private sector in the rural areas or poor urban areas. In collaboration with the Ministry of
Education existing institutions of higher learning shall be allowed to negotiate for financial
assistance with donor agencies. Schools which are running on non-profit basis shall be
exempted from all taxes. According to the principles laid down in the Federal Supervision of
curricula, Textbooks and Maintenance of Standards of Education Act, 1976 the Curricula of
private institutions must conform. In consultation with the government the fee structure of the
privately managed educational institutions shall be developed.

Rapid growth in poverty:

According to 2002 Economic Survey Report, “Most of the

inhabitants of Pakistan are poor and 40% of them live under poverty line, about 70% of its
population dwells in villages. About 300,000, young ones are jobless. They have no access to
good education”.

This report shows that how much difficulties and troubles have
been faced by this poor and suppressed class of the country. The main occupation of people is
agriculture which is yearly generated which cannot fulfill their daily and basic needs of life. It
is also noted that only 1% landlords hold almost 95% of lands in Pakistan which is totally
unfair. This unjust division of land creates a huge economical problem which not only for the
poor but also the government.
Political Negligence:

“If you want to destroy the future of any nation, no need to wage war with them; defunct
their education, they will remain no more live on the map of the world.”

still now no politician has paid attention in improving the

standard of education so far, as far as the question of history of development of education in
Pakistan is concerned. In case of Sindh, in early 1970s, lingual riots took place and a new cancer
of copy culture was introduced and boosted up by politicians to prevail among the people. No
official steps were taken in curbing this fatal disease. Now, the result is that throughout the
country Sindhi students are understood the out come of copy culture and basic rights in every
walk of life are denied to them, because however, they may be genius and creators but the fact
remained that they lack in management and unable move the economy of the country just
because they bear a title of COPY CULTURE. It was a political conspiracy based on totally bias.

Being a Sindhi, I do not favour Sindhis that they are not

given a proper share in different walks of life, whatever is happening to them is the only out
come of wrong and misled policies which have been blindly followed up by them. Patriotism is
the very hinge for all virtues, living in the same country everyone at first is Pakistani then Sindhi,
Punjabee, Balochee and or Pathan, respectively. So, now it is our turn to turn a new leaf and pace
with our other provincial brothers to improve the management of our beloved country Pakistan,
believing in “united we stand, divided we fall”. Education has become a question of survival for
us; less developed man cannot bring the change in improving the skills that are vital for the uplift
of the education.

Q.2 Discuss the problems faced by Board of Intermediate and Secondary Educating
(BISE) in structuring the boards and administration of examinations

Problems of Secondary Education

1) Different committees and commissions before and after independence have mentioned various
aims of secondary education. But secondary educational institutions in practice do not try to
materialise those aims. The so-called aims are practically paper-aims. During pre- independence
days the only aim of secondary education was to secure white-collar jobs, this is no doubt a
very narrow aim.

Even secondary education is not complete by itself. It is a

stepping-stone for admissions in colleges and universities. Secondary education is thus regarded
as a passport for higher education. Hence the main defect of secondary education is its
aimlessness. Secondary education must have definite aims related to practical life and the
secondary schools should try to realise those aims in every possible manner.

2) Secondary education is theoretical, bookish, narrowly conceived and unpractical. It creates

social misfits and does not fulfill the needs of life. It is not life-centred. It should not increase
unemployment and should help to produce able, self-dependent and patriotic citizens.

The current secondary education has aggravated the unemployment

problem. Therefore we have to make our secondary education so useful that the students having
passed this stage do not run only for admission to universities and unemployment does not increase
and they become economically independent by having acquired some vocational skills of productive
nature acquired some vocational skills of productive nature.

3). The present secondary education is not related to productivity. In most of the western countries
secondary education is highly related to productivity. But this is not so in our country. Secondary
education in India does not help to augment national production both in agricultural as well as in
industrial. Both the Mudaliar Commission (1952-53) and the Kothari Commission (1964-66)
strongly recommended for making secondary education productive. But this has not been achieved
at the desired level. The schemes of core periphery and work experience have failed miserably and
the plus- two stage has not yet been vocationalised as propose.

4) The secondary education in our country is not helpful for economic development of the
nation and rapid social transformation. No man-power training is possible in the present set-up
of secondary education in India. Secondary education must prepare an adolescent for India’s
technical and industrial growth though proper utilization of the natural resources.
5) In the present system of secondary education there is little scope for total development of
personality or individuality which is the avowed aim of education in all ages and in all countries.
Adolescent stage which covers secondary education is the proper stage for such development.
India now requires men of glorified and sublime personalities and not men of timid characters.
Secondary education has a role to play in this regard.

6) There is little scope for character training in the present system of secondary education.
Character is the crown of life. Value education is essential for character training but our
secondary education does not attach much importance to education for values such as
toleration, cooperation, fellow-feeling, truthfulness, modesty, respect to teachers or elders, spirit
of self-respect, faith in national cultural tradition, secularism etc. Since independence our
society is confronted with crisis of character and rapid erosion of eternal values.

The secondary school stage is the suitable stage for the cultivation of those values. Our main
purpose is to produce youths of character. Our education has not only to impart bookish
knowledge but to give such a knowledge which may contribute to personal, social and national
prosperity. We want all-round development of our children-physical, mental, moral, spiritual etc.

7) Secondary education also does not provide opportunities for leadership training. Students are
the future leaders in different walks of our national life and as such their traits of leadership
should be cultivated when they are young and sensitive enough. Secondary stage can be regarded
as the breeding ground for leadership training. Organisation of and participation in co-curricular
activities can help in this regard to a great extent

8) The present secondary education in our country is not congenial to effective, democratic and
productive citizenship which is the need of the hour. We need able, dutiful and self-dedicated
citizens for making our infant democracy a success, who are imbued with the spirit of
intelligent patriotism contributing to the rapid prosperity of the country. Our secondary
education does not help to develop civic sense in children and to shoulder gallantly multifarious
civic duties and responsibilities. Independent India requires citizens trained in democratic
values of life and citizenship.
9) Development of social efficiency is not possible in the present setup of secondary education in
our country. Every individual has a social self. For an integrated personality development of this
social self is essential which is neglected by our secondary education. There is also close
relationship between education and society. If social aspect of education is neglected no society
can prosper and attain the desired growth.

10) Man cannot live by bread alone. He wants something more which is nothing but culture. But
education and culture are not synonymous. Culture is more than education. Still education forms
the basis of culture and develops the cultural potentiality of an individual. National cultural
regeneration is not possible without cultural regeneration of the individual. Secondary education
should enrich our traditional culture-pattern and imbibe new cultural ingredients from other
countries.

11) Secondary education today neglects co-curricular activities. Mere curricular activities cannot
help to develop all round personality of an individual. Here lies the need of organisation of a co-
curricular activities.

12) Physical education is not emphasised by the present system of secondary education in our
country. Today we need Spartan outlook. Human beings are essentially psycho-physical in
nature. National security depends to a large extent on its able bodied citizens. Sound mind is not
possible without sound body. Swami Vivekananda greatly emphasised physical education. “We
can reach God even through football”, Swamiji remarked. Most of the secondary schools of our
country possess minimum facilities for physical education. Many of them have no play-grounds.
This is particularly true in cities where the students play in the streets. 60% of secondary students
suffer from malnutrition. However, new Education Policy (1986) has emphasised physical
education.

13) Many secondary schools still suffer from the inadequate number of able and trained
teachers. Training is a pre-requisite condition for successful teaching and professional growth.
Able and suitable teachers are also not available everywhere particularly in rural Areas.

Our secondary teachers’ training programme is also faulty and has made the problem crucial.

Teachers should be trained in basic and vocational curriculum also. Teachers are like the spinal
chord of the school. The school cannot function well if the teachers are inefficient and
inadequate in number. Today the schools have few able teachers. Now we need urgently
vocationally trained teachers to make the scheme of vocationalization of secondary education
a success.

Still many secondary teachers are untrained. Dearth of efficient and properly trained teachers is
a peculiar feature of present-day secondary schools. The teaching profession do not attract
talented students. Conditions of work and service of teachers should be improved. Private tuition
by teachers should also be discouraged

14) The curriculum poses a great problem in the field of secondary education. It is difficult to
have an universally accepted curriculum because the needs of one state differ from the others.
Our country is a multi-lingual and multi-religious country. The NCERT and the All India
Council for Secondary Education are trying to forge out a universally accepted curriculum.

In recent years the Secondary School Curriculum is almost uniform with some variations
according to local needs. Inspite of this there are some inherent defects in the curriculum. Both
the Mudaliar and Kothan Commissions made some fruitful suggestions to make the
secondary-school curriculum up-to-date and useful.

but these have not produced the desired results. Many defects
still persist in the curriculum and new defects have appeared. It does not properly reflect the
needs of the individual as well as the society. It is narrowly conceived and is largely of
unilateral character. There is not sufficient variety and elasticity.

It is theoretical bookish unpractical and not life-centred. “The

education imparted in most secondary schools is, generally speaking, of the academic type
leading at the end of the school course to university admission rather than entry into a
vocation”. The curriculum is heavy and overloaded particularly at the plus-two stage.

The curriculum still lays great emphasis on the acquisition of

the knowledge and comparatively little on the building up of those skills, aptitudes, values and
interests which are essential for the full development of the student personality”. There is little
scope for vocational training which is essential for rapid economic development, proper
utilization of natural and human resources of the country.

15) The curriculum has intimate connection with the method of teaching. The method
followed by most of the secondary teachers is stereotyped, obsolete and un-psychological.
Modern activity-centred methods are not applied by the teachers. Many of them are not
familiar with these methods and as such they fail to attract the attention tension of the students.

As a result the lessons become unproductive and the effects are

far from satisfactory. There are practical difficulties also in way of applying modem methods
of teaching in our school situations. Many schools are not properly equipped with laboratory
and library facilities, necessary teaching aids and appliances.

Most of the secondary schools are over-crowded, ill-staffed and

suffer from inadequate number of teachers and accommodation. The average teacher-pupil
ratio is 1: 50. But for effective arid creative teaching it should be 1: 30. There is little scope for
tutorial work. No fruitful teaching is possible without personal contact between the teacher and
the taught.

16) Next comes the problem of text-books which is also intimately connected with the problem
of curriculum and methodology of teaching. Many students suffer from want of text-books which
are very costly. Text-books are often changed. This has added fuel to the fire. 45% of the
population in our country lives below the subsistence level. It is not possible for them to
purchase text-books for their children and to supply necessary stationery needed for educational
purposes.

They cannot bear other educational expenses of their wards. It

might have been better if text-books could be supplied free of cost. In many socialistic as well as
capitalistic countries text books are supplied free of cost upto secondary level. But our educational
system has not yet been nationalised and the budgetary provision for education is very scanty. It is
only 2½ %. Under the circumstances, the Govt. should give financial assistance to the private
publishers so that the prices of text-books may be kept at reasonable level. Due to
competition the private publishers also will be forced to maintain the reasonable quality
or standard.

17) The entire system of education is vitiated by examination. The educational achievements of
students are measured by the single measuring rod known as examination. The prevailing
essay-type examination dominates the educational arena. But it has developed a large number
of defects and as such it is no longer regarded as the only measuring rod for determining the
academic achievements of students.

The main charge against the essay-type examination is that it is

vitiated by subjectivity. For this reason, along with essay-type examination which has its own
intrinsic merits objective type tests and short-answer type tests have been introduced. But the
latter two are not entirely free from defects.

It is true that these have improved the examination process and made the system more
scientific and reliable. We cannot reject the essay type examination altogether. But it should be
reformed in the desired channels. Some reforms are needed after careful thinking and a good
deal of research.

The Radhakrishna Commission, the Hartog Committee, the

Mudaliar Commission and the Kothari Commission all have made important recommendations
and observations in respect to examination reform. Many of these have been put into operation
and still many are under consideration. External examination alone should not be accepted as a
tool for measuring the academic achievements of students.

Internal evaluation throughout the year by the internal teachers

should also be used for examining the students. Bi-weekly or monthly tests of the students should
also be considered for assessing their academic achievements. Instead of percentile marks
abilities of students should be measured in grades. For this purpose a five point scale (A, B, C, D,
E) may be used. Along with essay type questions at least 30 percent of the total marks should
be assigned to objective tests.
18) Many secondary schools suffer from inadequate finance. Our educational system has not yet
been nationalised. But public and private sectors run side by side. Most of the secondary schools
are under private sector. Government schools are very few. The schools run by private sector
have always to face the problem of inadequate funds.

For running of the schools they have to look for the Govt. grants
which are very meagre and paid irregularly. As a result private aided schools cannot maintain
proper standard. Teachers are not paid regularly and disgruntled teachers cannot act properly.
Neither have they had good school buildings nor good teachers and suitable teaching
materials. Both the Govt. and the public should co-operate with each other for organising the
necessary funds for the schools.

19) The teacher-training programmes in our country are inadequate and far from satisfactory.
Teaching is a difficult task. It is an art. Only academic degrees cannot make one an able and
ideal teacher. Teaching is not only a profession; it is also a mission. Dedicated teachers are now-
a-days very few. Training is essential for every teacher. Still many secondary teachers are
untrained.

difficult to get admission in training colleges. Existing institutions

are overloaded. The period of training is also too short. It is ten to eleven months. At the
secondary level it should be at least two years. The most objectionable part of the training
programme is the conducting of the practice teaching.

Above all what the teachers learn during training period they can
not apply it after going back to their respective schools. So training remains as paper-training.
For professional growth and efficiency there should be adequate arrangements for in service
training programmes during puja or summer vacations through the organisation of refresher
course, short intensive course, workshop, seminar, conference etc.

20) The administration of the secondary schools does not appear to be efficient. Education
administration in India is a three-tier process – Central, Slate and district. Secondary education is
for all practical purposes under the control of the State Govts. though the Central Govt.
formulates general policy and guidelines applicable all over the country uniformly. But there is a
dual administration over secondary schools in each state – the Department of Education and
the State Board of Secondary Education.

The Board determines the nature of the curriculum, text books

and conducts examinations. The Department formulates general policies, allocates funds and
takes measures for professional efficiency and training of teachers. Because of this dual control
the secondary schools are not achieving their purposes, because of lack of harmony and co-
ordination between the officers of these two controlling units.

In fact, there should be a mutual cooperation between the two for

achieving the objectives of secondary education. Unusual delay takes place in taking important
decisions and in disposing files. Red-tapism is the order of the day. Due to ill decisions or delay in
decisions schools and their teachers had to suffer tremendous financial hardships.

At least 25,000 litigations are pending in West Bengal. These cases

should be disposed of at an early date in the interest of education irrespective of political
affiliation of teachers. Supervision is a part of administration. Secondary schools are not properly
supervised by school inspectors. Inspection is almost a far cry in the field of secondary education.
There are different graded Govt. Inspectors, but the number of inspectors is not sufficient.

The inspectors are so busy with their files in their offices that
they get little time for supervision and inspection of schools under their charge. Moreover, the
attitude of the inspectors in respect of teachers is below the norm. Their attitude appears to be
that of a master. But they should know that they are co-partners of teachers. Their attitude should
be democratic and they should try to solve the difficulties of the teachers and problems of the
schools.

21) Many schools suffer from an atmosphere of indiscipline and non- academic activities. This
is mainly due to the influence of political parties. Almost every political party has a student wing
and it very often interferes with the day to day administration of schools. This is not desirable in
the interest of smooth running of school administration and maintaining academic atmosphere in
schools.
 It is true that sometimes school management takes wrong
decisions and makes delay in taking decisions which aggravate the situation. All litigations and
problems should be solved through discussions round the table. Probably for maintaining
proper academic tone in educational institutions the National Education Policy, 1986 has
proposed depoliticisation of education. The proposal is welcomed from academic point of view.

22) The education imparted in secondary schools is not psychologically sound as it does not
provide ample opportunities to the students to receive education according to their abilities,
interests and aptitudes It is not based on the pedagogical concept of individual differences. It
does not fulfill the needs and aspirations of adolescent children. The only remedy to this situation
is the introduction of varied and diversified curriculum in secondary schools.

23) Since independence the growth of secondary education is tremendous. The demand for
secondary education has increased to a large extent because it is now regarded as the
minimum level of education for an individual. Still all the students between the age group 14 –
18 are not provided with opportunities for having secondary education.

All who have completed elementary education are not getting

admissions because of dearth of accommodation. The only solution to this pressing problem is
“open door policy” in respect of admission in secondary schools. Admission should not be
selective up to Class X. More schools should be set up. More expansion is needed but surely
not at the cost of qualitative improvement.

24) Secondary education has not yet been nationalised. It is still a privilege in the hands of a
certain sections of population. This is extremely regrettable. Secondary schools differ in their
standards. There are thousands of sub-standard schools in the country. Due to financial
difficulties many students are deprived of secondary education.

Secondary education is not even free throughout India. Boys

enjoy more educational privileges than girls. Educational privileges are far better in cities than in
villages. This situation should be ameliorated by providing equal opportunities of education to all
children reading in secondary schools irrespective of caste, creed, sex, social and economic
status. This is possible only through nationalisation of education.
25) Since independence quality of secondary education has suffered a set-back. This is caused by
various reasons such as paucity of funds want of suitable equipment’s, ever increasing pressure
on enrolment, dearth of able and dedicated teachers and faulty planning. There is large number
of sub-standard secondary schools in the country.

A good number of superfluous schools also exist. Many schools

are devoid of minimum infrastructural provision. Secondary education is still the weakest link in
our educational chain. Wastage is mounting in secondary level also due to failures. Only
qualitative improvement of secondary education can reduce this huge wastage. Quantity and
quality should go hand in hand.

Q.3 Discuss the salient features of private schools and describe their academic programs
and curriculum.

For those people, searching for the right school can be a lengthy
process requiring committed preparation, careful research, continual learning, and finally a
confident choice. Hopefully, this article can provide some much-needed help by detailing the
essential characteristics of the best private schools in an effort to help parents in their search.

In addition to providing a description of the essential

characteristics that the best private schools in the country have in common, we also want to
provide a resource that every parent can take with them and use to assess whether the particular
school that they are looking at for their student(s), meets the standards when it comes to
providing the absolute best education and experience during some of the most formative years
of a person’s life.

1.High-Quality Instruction
The best private schools require teacher certifications and continual training to develop high-quality
instructors. Staff members also benefit from regularly scheduled opportunities to collaborate and
share best practices. When schools prioritize professional development, students are likely to
experience engaging instruction, relevant coursework, and authentic assessments.
2. Viable Standards-Based Curriculum
Effective educational programs strategically design curriculum with purpose and strategic intent.
With the end goal in mind, classes, units, and individual lessons plot a course for student
learning without gaps or unnecessary redundancies. Using a set of respected national or state
level standards, teachers will document the curriculum represented in their classes and align with
these standards to ensure their students are competitively prepared for college and career.

3.College Readiness
The best schools have specific plans in place to prepare students for college and/or the career of
their choice. Available programs can support students as they prepare for the ACT/SAT and
provide interest surveys that expose students to possible career pathways. With the assistance
of a trusted guidance counselor, students can explore and choose the class offerings that will
best prepare them for future college and career goals.

4. Strategic and Innovative Technology

Great schools implement technology into their learning process but also understand the
limitations that come with their introduction. Technology should not simply be used as a
substitute for lower-tech tools (like pencils and chalkboards), or for the teacher-student
interaction that should take place within the learning environment. It should, however, be used
intentionally and strategically to help students learn, deepening critical thinking and opening
new educational opportunities.

5. Measurable Achievement and Progress

Student assessments should not just be used to communicate final grades or rank students.
The best instructors use assessments to guide individual learners along the journey to
academic achievement. Many layers and styles of assessments can be used to create an
accurate understanding of student learning. Some of these assessments should include well-
respected standardized or growth tests, relevant classroom assessments that give students
authentic opportunities to use their new knowledge and skills, and many informal assessments
along the way to help students, teachers, and parents identify learning strengths and
opportunities for growth.
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
6.Extensive Athletic Programs
Athletic programs create opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level of
interscholastic sports and foster within each individual a desire and commitment to excellence of
practice and performance. Schools should be committed to providing an experience that trains
leaders, develops character, emphasizes teamwork, teaches athletes to compete, and encourages
healthy lifelong habits. Athletes should learn what it means to work hard, improve both on and
off the field and court, and have fun in the process.

7. Fine Arts
Fine arts is a vital part of providing students with a well-rounded education. Whether a student is
enrolled in music, theatre, or art, this discipline teaches creativity, leadership and presentation
skills. There are many statistics supporting students heavily involved in fine arts. They were
better than their peers at staying motivated to achieve, had improved social skills and noticeably
better test scores. Schools that stress the importance of a great arts education play a vital role in
preparing students for success in career and personal life.

8. Extracurricular Activities
High-quality schools develop not only the academic abilities of their students but also offer
extensive extracurricular opportunities. These activities allow students to pursue their unique
passions, explore new talents, and grow their perspective while unveiling new possibilities. The
best programs will open doors for students to showcase their skills in authentic ways both
inside and outside the school community.

9. Leadership Cultivation
Effective schools produce effective leaders. The best private schools recognize the essential
role they play in shaping the future of our society by cultivating the next generation of
leadership. Diverse opportunities should be available to students to develop their unique
strengths through various levels and avenues. While exercising these gifts, quality leadership
programs also challenge students to grow in confidence, independence, and responsibility.
10. Holistic Development
The best private schools believe that education is not centered on producing intellectual
achievement alone, but recognize their responsibility to develop the whole child. Successful
educational programs should produce life-long learners who appreciate intellectual stimulation
and challenge. However, the future of our society needs more than academics. Great schools
develop a legacy of fostering compassion, integrity, and a willingness to discover, develop
and use individual talents to serve a greater good.

11. Student-Centered
To be considered a great private school, it must be student-centered. Every
decision that is made is driven by one essential question, is this in the student’s best interest? A
student-centered school should have happy, productive and engaged students. They should also
develop and maintain strong friendship and peer relationships. Additionally, a student-centered
school will have a high retention rate.

12. Safe and Secure Environment

Parents recognize that a secure environment is not only about locked
doors and safety drills. Of course, high-quality schools have the equipment and procedures
necessary to ward off accidents and potential threats. However, a safe environment also
means that our children feel accepted by the community, valued as an individual, and
supported by teachers and peers. The best schools promote a healthy student culture free of
bullying, discrimination, and harassment.

13. Community Relations

To promote a favorable climate within their community, great schools
execute strategies that foster a vibrant and cohesive culture among students and faculty.
Regularly scheduled events and activities provide opportunities for community building both
during the school day and after-hours. When schools see value in investing in a student’s
character, in addition to their academic success, they can confidently claim their students are
equipped to thrive both academically and socially in the outside world. The best schools also
promote strong community relations by implementing policies to address social and
behavior-related problems.
14. Invested Administration and Leadership Team
An invested leadership team produces invested students. In thriving
schools, the administration and leadership team set the tone for a healthy climate and have a
direct correlation to student achievement. When school leadership is passionate about the
school and the vision and mission, they will invest heavily in students and cultivate a culture of
growth and learning. Great educators view their school as more of a team or family rather than
simply a place to work. With this mindset, school spirit becomes contagious and the whole
student body feels united as a community of learners who accept and look out for one another.

15. Diverse Environment

process by celebrating a multi-voiced school culture which teaches students
to welcome a multitude of perspectives. The best private schools endeavor to help students learn
cultural intelligence and the ability to operate successfully in a multicultural world by
establishing non-negotiable values such as the inherent dignity of each person regardless of race,
gender, or creed, and the understanding that human problems are complex and defy simple,
cliche solutions. Great schools seek greater unity through diversity and understand that
difference is the uniqueness that defines each individual.

16. Parental Involvement

The best private schools build strong partnerships with parents and effective
educators understand that the task of developing successful learners is shared with the child’s
most powerful influences at home. Open and regular communication should exist between the
school and parent. This communication often comes in a variety of forms such as websites,
emails, newsletters, and phone calls. In each case, the shared information should give parents
valuable insights into their student’s progress, but should also invite a two-way conversation.
The best private schools recognize the value that parents can bring to a school and they actively
seek the voice, perspective, and involvement of their customers.

17. Purpose-Driven Philosophy

Underlying the “how” of what schools do is a “why” which gives guidance
and direction to action and decision. The best private schools academic disciplines align with
their mission statement. Their vision is clear, guided by reachable and measurable goals, and
executed well. When a school’s vision, purpose, and values are clearly defined, decisions are
consistent and lead to effective and measurable progress. A school’s philosophy of education,
mission, and vision should be understood and easily articulated by all stakeholders. When the
organization states these guiding principles clearly and keeps them at the forefront of decision
making, students benefit from clear expectations and continuous school improvement.

18. Secure and Organized Campus

The well-being and safety of students should be the main priority in all
schools. A great school seeks to identify and reduce potential risks within the school environment,
and continually works toward providing a safe facility. The best private schools have security
personnel in place to assure parents that their students are safe and work to provide the necessary
training for security staff, faculty and support staff to prepare for any type of crisis situation. Crisis
plans for each potential situation should be written down and students and faculty should participate
in regular drills for each possible crisis. Additionally, the organization and flow of the campus
should foster easy and efficient access for students and a secure check-in/check-out procedure for
parents, guests, and school visitors to provide a safe facility.

19. Support Facilities

Effective schools strategically design workspaces and select resources to
promote student success. Students need spaces for quiet, independent study as well as locations
to gather with peers for group assignments, collaboration, and socialization. A well-designed
school makes it easy for students to find and utilize this space. Necessary resources and relevant
technology should also be readily available to support students in 21st-century learning.

20. Data-Driven Decision Making

The best private schools research best practices and continuously evaluate
the effectiveness of decisions made regarding instruction, assessment, standards, procedures, and
curriculum. Standardized testing, instructional software, advances in technology, and student
information systems provide information about learning trends, student progress, and school
effectiveness. Collecting school data is a good start, but great schools know how to effectively
interpret and use data to show inconsistencies and gaps in their program which then can guide
decisions and policies toward greater student achievement and school improvement.
Q.4 Write down detailed note on importance of textbook and criteria for selectin of test
books.

The term ‘textbook’ has been used in different contexts to refer to

different concepts. Some use it to refer to any book used during education, but most limit it to
books written specifically for classroom use. The textbook, in fact, is the heart of the school and
teaching-learning activities and without the ubiquitous text, there would be no schools. Effective
use of textbook helps in bringing and achieving the learning outcomes.

Textbooks carry a wide range of new and interesting facts and

open the doors to a world of a whole new experience. Teachers can play an important and
crucial role in nurturing and supporting each child’s creative potential by the proper use of
textbooks. Textbooks also help teachers to become more inspirational and motivational.

Textbooks are dependable and a critical part of education, as

necessary as classroom itself and as indispensable as the classroom teacher, since they are
based on developed theory, authored by specialists and refined through active research. They
not only provide structure to lessons and students’ progression but also encourage clarity
regarding key concepts and core knowledge.

The curricula and textbooks should be more meaningful

and relevant for life experiences of students so as to prepare them for real life challenges.

Though there are other teaching-learning resources, say training, and

use of chart among others, the importance of the textbook use cannot be denied as they work as
‘bridges between the worlds of plans and intentions, and of classroom activities shaped in part by
those plans and intentions’. Further, textbooks determine the range of possible activities for the
classroom, thus influencing greatly what teachers are likely to do, even if they do not restrict
what teachers can do.

From teachers’ perspective, textbooks provide extra resources

such as chapter tests, worksheets of extra problems and project support materials. Furthermore,
a teacher’s edition of the text can also remind teachers of alternative approaches to a topic so
that s/she can provide guidance on sequence and timing. This also makes it easier to coordinate
among teachers.
From parents’ perspective, textbooks show them what their children are learning and will learn.
If a child has questions which parents cannot readily answer, they can refer to textbooks to help
figure out the answer.
From students’ perspective, textbooks give them chapter review problems and sample tests and
answers to the problems. They also usually have everything they need to know – highlighted
in boxes or bold print.
It is quite obvious that teachers would be able to make effective use of textbooks, only if
they realise the value of textbooks as an important teaching and learning resources.

The quality of education system entirely depends on the

quality interaction between teachers and students through use of textbooks in the classroom.
Textbooks reflect the aims and objectives of the national curriculum. Therefore, the availability
and the use of textbooks in the teaching learning process are very important.

Unavailability of textbooks, especially in rural schools, has

made students rely on teachers’ notes, as they are the only source materials. In such a situation,
students from poor economic background are likely to fall behind. Unavailability of textbooks
and lack of creative skills ultimately lead to poor learning, which has greatly affected the
quality of education of community schools. Practical subjects like science need textbooks that
not only give instructions but also explain procedures for experiments.
But the availability of textbooks only does not solve the problem. Their effective use is a must
to build students’ confidence.
Sequence

Textbook contains a comprehensive standard scope and sequence for a particular college
course or set of courses.

Textbook is easily divisible into smaller sections, with text that is not overly self-referential
in order to enable modularity as much as possible.

Content Accuracy

Textbook contains accurate content without factual errors.

Content is presented with no or minimal bias or slant, taking into account the context of the
particular subject being addressed.

Content is up-to-date and avoids presenting information that will make the text obsolete quickly,
taking into account the particular subject being addressed.

Content has been reviewed by subject matter experts through a peer review process –
preferably, but not restricted to, double-blind peer review.

Instructional Design

Textbook contains a variety of instructional materials, including reflective questions, learning

activities, and other features which promote learner engagement and active learning.

The relationship between the use of the textbook and fulfilling particular learning outcomes is
clearly explained.

Text Clarity

Content is written in accessible and internally-consistent prose for the intended reader.

Textbook contains a structured, clear, and logical progression of topics.

Textbook contains no grammatical, spelling, or other typographical errors.

Visual Clarity and Fidelity

Textbook does not contain distorted images or charts, and does not contain any other display
features that may distract or confuse the reader.

Image resolution is up to the current standard for all viewing devices.

Accessibility and Inclusive Design

Textbook provides accessible and structured text and images to meet the needs of diverse
learners.

Textbook reflects diversity and inclusion regarding culture, gender, ethnicity, national origin, age,
disability, sexual orientation, education, and religion, whenever possible, taking into account the
context of the particular subject being addressed.

Ancillary Materials

Textbook has high-quality ancillary (supplementary) materials which aid the instructor in the
teaching process.

Q.5 Discuss the examination system in Pakistan. Also highlight the factors which affect
the quality of examination system in our schools.

At present, 3 types of examination systems are being used in Pakistan:

semester without external evaluation, semester with external evaluation, and annual with
external evaluation. The first is being practiced in all private and few public sector institutions,
whereas the latter 2 are in use in most of the public sector and a few private institutes affiliated
with public-sector universities. The grading scheme in all these systems is quite dissimilar.

In collaboration with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the

Pharmacy Council of Pakistan devised the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum in 2004 for
both annual and semester systems without mentioning the need for external evaluation or the
timeframe for adapting to a single system in the country. This is the root cause of
unstandardization.3 Mahmood and Usman2 witnessed the defects of the annual system, which
prompted institutions to slowly adapt to a semester system. However, this report was neither factual
nor evidence-based, but rather a mere assumption. Standardization cannot be achieved by adapting a
single examination system without incorporating a standardized grading procedure.

A good examination system whether annual or semester, indicates what is

taught and how it is taught. Moreover, evaluation outcomes allow teachers to tailor teaching
strategies and methodologies that may improve both teaching and learning. Presently, such goals
are a daydream, particularly in public sector institutes. My previous letter was not a comparison
between semester and annual systems but rather an attempt to draw the attention of the
authorities to a few points that need to be addressed in support of pharmacy students.

Contrary to the opinions expressed by Mahmood and Usman,2 my

letter1 indicated that the examination of theory in the annual system was quite fair. The real
hitch was student failure of the practical examination because they failed the oral examination
portion, which accounted for 20% to 30 % of the total grade. This situation was grave because
students who failed either the theory (written) or practical (oral) portion had to retake both
examinations, despite that the subjects were independent. Furthermore, there is no professional
body comprised of institutional-level experts who are available to lend a hand to students by
investigating this situation.

In 2004, pharmacy academia separated the 2 examinations, which resulted

in some improvement, but there was still a need to further refine the system. As a result of some
of the remaining problems, some students fail and discontinue their education or require
psychiatric care. Some reported cases of suicide could have been avoided by establishing a body
of experts to probe the reasons for failure and counsel students. Counseling or psychoanalysis of
failing students can play a pivotal role in improving the success rate among this group and
decreasing depression that leads to suicide.

Turning a blind eye to the grave incidences of suicides by considering them

isolated reports in this and other countries, as mentioned by Mahmood and Usman, 2 is beyond
comprehension. In my opinion, based on my experience as officer in charge of examinations, a
mentor needs to be vigilant to students who do not achieve the required outcome and has a
paternal role to motivate and guide such fellows. A teacher may be more inclined to do so if
he/she is held accountable for ghastly results, but at present, this is not occurring at most of
Pakistan's institutes. In this context, a recent healthy development occurred when a vice
chancellor of a public sector university ordered that a teacher would be held responsible if
the failing rate in his class was more than 10%.

I am encouraged that the National Test Service, a public sector organization,

has taken the initiative to launch a pharmacy subjects-based Graduate Assessment Test (GAT),
which is compulsory for those intending to pursue higher education.4 The Punjab Public Service
Commission conducted an examination of over 10,000 candidates who were competing for 117
vacant positions in the Hospital Pharmacists/Inspector of Drugs in the Punjab Health Department.
Despite the graduate assessment requirement, only 1290 candidates passed the examination and
were invited to appear in front of a board of experts for final selection.5
There is still a dire need for the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan to take an
affirmative role in controlling/restricting growth in the number of pharmacy institutes in the
country, improving the standard of education, and producing pharmacists needed to meet the
national demand. Moreover, the council needs to ponder the prevailing employment situation
before accrediting new pharmacy institutes because there is already an unemployment problem
and the jobs that are available pay exceptionally low wages. If the number of pharmacy institutes
in Pakistan is allowed to increase, increasing the number of pharmacists in the country, it will
only exacerbate the unemployment problem.6 There is a dire need for a mandatory GAT-type
test for the registration of pharmacists with provincial pharmacy councils, which is obligatory
for pharmacy practice in Pakistan.