Karachi( The COW News Digital) Oxford AQA has officially announced the introduction of three new compulsory subjects for Pakistani students – Urdu, Islamiyat, and Pakistan Studies – as part of its curriculum for international GCSE (IGCSE) examinations.
This step is being hailed as a milestone move aimed at providing modern, locally relevant, and globally aligned education for Pakistani students. The newly introduced curriculum is designed to enhance critical thinking, analytical skills, and exam preparation in a manner that reflects the country’s unique cultural and historical context.
Speaking about the development, Oxford AQA’s Director Salma Adil expressed her excitement, saying:
“Introducing Urdu, Islamiyat, and Pakistan Studies textbooks and exams is a matter of pride for us. This milestone reflects our commitment to equipping schools with the right tools for quality education.”
The new curriculum will focus on independent research, collaboration, and real-world application, enabling students to connect their learning with both national and global developments.
Meanwhile, in a parallel move towards transparency, Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) has also rolled out a major reform for Pakistani students. For the first time, CAIE will allow O- and A-level candidates to view their answer scripts online for free before deciding whether to request rechecking or remarking.
CAIE’s Pakistan Country Manager Uzma Yusuf, while speaking to the media during her visit to Karachi, said:
“This initiative is fully free of cost and designed to promote transparency and trust in the examination process. All schools have been given access to their students’ scripts, and any student who wishes to review theirs can visit their school to do so.”
She further revealed that Pakistan has the largest number of Cambridge students worldwide, with 130,000 enrollments, followed by the USA, India, China, and Dubai.
Education experts believe that the combination of Oxford AQA’s locally adapted curriculum and Cambridge’s transparency initiative marks a new era in Pakistan’s education sector, reducing unnecessary academic burden while improving the overall quality of learning and assessment.
Observers expect these steps to improve exam preparation and performance, while also aligning students’ knowledge with national identity and global educational standards.
