Girls top AKU-EB secondary school results

KARACHI: Girls outdid boys in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Part I and II examinations of the Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB), said a press release on Thursday.

The board released the 2010 results within six weeks of the exams held in 23 cities across Pakistan, from Karachi and Mianwali to Hunza.

Anum Zehra Raza of Al-Murtaza School (92 per cent marks) stood first. Muhammad Sameer Kayani of ETN High School and Marvi Ahmed of FFC Grammar School tied for second position with 91.6 per cent. Syeda Maha Iqbal of Shahwilayat Public School earned third position with 91.5 per cent.

Fifty-five per cent of AKU-EB’s candidates scored 70 per cent and above for the SSC Part II, passing in all eight subjects. There was a significant improvement in grades from last year, especially in science and language subjects. Since the board’s first examination session in 2006, there has been an increase in candidates opting for additional and elective subjects such as Psychology and Art and Model Drawing.

“The improvements are partly a result of the feedback AKU-EB provides to schools,” said Karima Kara, associate director, AKU-EB. “Each school receives a performance report that provides them with meaningful statistical and qualitative feedback on how their students performed in each subject, even each question on the examination.” This performance report is an additional benefit of the board’s computerised examination processing system, which allows teachers to see how they can improve their teaching and learning practices and apply it in the classroom.

“The feedback report we receive annually from AKU-EB helps us see where our students rank on a national scale,” stated Fatima Shah, Principal, Iqra Academy, Abbottabad. “Its comprehensive analysis also tells us exactly where our weaknesses as well as strengths are, and which student learning outcomes of the syllabus to increase our focus upon each year.”

Results are available online at www.aku.edu/akueb/onlineresults.shtml with a detailed breakdown for candidates on how they performed as compared to their group peers.

AKU-EB is a federal board of intermediate and secondary education established by the AKU in response to demand from schools for more appropriate school examinations. AKU-EB was founded in August 2003 in accordance with Ordinance CXIV of the Government of Pakistan to offer examination services for both Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary School Certificate throughout Pakistan and abroad.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2010.