Moalims

LAHORE: Beaconhouse The New School (TNS) DHA on Saturday organised a panel discussion for its upcoming event ‘School of Tomorrow Education and Cultural Festival’, which would be held in Karachi. The panel discussed the merits of the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge International Examination system (CIE O and A level), keeping in mind the academic and professional needs of the future.

Panelists included Beaconhouse School System Director of Education Dr Lawrence Burke, LUMS Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Chairman Dr Ali Khan, FC College Vice Rector Dr CJ Dubash and The International School founder Taymur Mirza.

Express News Executive Director Fahd Hussain moderated the session. A large number of parents attended the gathering, which was conducted in the newly constructed, state of the art Multimedia Hall at TNS.

Dr Dubash and Dr Khan, both representatives of local universities, emphasised the importance of beginning a greater variety of skills and experiences from their applicants than those traditionally expected from Pakistani students. They underlined the need for educationists to move away from rote learning and cultivate a culture of questioning and independent learning, as an enquiring mind is one that would succeed both academically and professionally in the future. They also emphasised the importance of parents allowing children to choose their own academic and professional paths.

Dr Burke and Mirza both explained the merits of the CIE and IB. However, they both emphasised the importance of choosing an academic path that creates flexible students who are able to grow and develop with a yet unknown future.

The panel was followed by a Q&A session, where Rukhsana Monnoo, representative of the USEF Pakistan, was also on hand to answer parents’ questions regarding international university requirements and what system to choose according your child’s learning aptitudes and preferences.

News Reference