Pay (less) money to make money: Proof of English language proficiency to cost less

British Council to launch less-expensive IELTS online test.

ISLAMABAD:

There was good news for students seeking to apply for admission to universities in the English speaking world, as the British Council (BC) announced plans to launch a cheaper online version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The test is, interchangeably with the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a requirement for admission in most educational institutions in the United Kingdom and other countries where English is the medium of instruction.

Without giving a specific timeframe, BC Country Director David Martin said the project was in its pilot stage and would be launched very soon.

He was talking to The Express Tribune at the conclusion of a discussion on “Qualifications in a Connected World” at Comsats University on Monday.

The discussion, organised by BC and moderated by columnist and broadcaster Fasi Zaka, involved the chair of the British Council, Sir Vernon Ellis, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, along with a number of students and university faculty members.

“Acquiring strong language and communications skills is essential for career development in today’s connected world. The British Council is playing a big part in equipping students and professionals with the skills they need,” said Sir Vernon in reply to a question.

Ellis said that any good education system should also focus on broadening students’ vision besides equipping them with the technical educational skills imperative for career development.

He opined that economic disparities and language barriers in access to education were not specific to Pakistan. “Even In England, there are people who can buy better education and sometimes the lack of language skills stops people from getting access to quality education.” He said the problem has to be plugged during the early stages of a student’s life.

The British Council, he said, is actively engaged with schools in Pakistan. “Our biggest schools network across the British Council is in Pakistan,” Ellis added.

Referring to the extra year in A-levels vis-à-vis the FSc system, Higher Education Commission Chairman Javed Leghari said the issue was being worked on as HEC authorities were cognisant of the disparity.

He said Pakistan has come a long way in higher education over the past ten years, with increasing numbers of courses undertaken in universities and enhancements in both the quality and quantity of research work.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, BC Country Director Martin shunned reports of misconduct from BC staff in scholarship awards. He said BC was not responsible for selecting candidates, which “is solely done by the HEC. No one from the British Council has ever been involved in any misconduct”.

He added that the recent media reports were manipulating facts produced by an individual disgruntled at failing to earn a scholarship.

The discussion also included:

ACCA Pakistan head Arif Masuf Mirza, Cambridge International Examinations Relationship and Communications Country Manager Uzma Yousuf, and Lancaster University Pro-Vice Chancellor and Economics Professor Steve Bradley as panellists.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2012.