Empowering learners for impact in Pakistan

Leading figures in school education gathered for our School Leaders’ Conference in Pakistan, hosted across Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad in mid-October.

85 school representatives in Karachi, 105 in Lahore, and 127 in Islamabad participated in an engaging day of presentations and discussions.  

The School Leaders’ Conference aims to provide a space for educational leaders to discuss current aims, empower learners, and make a positive impact on their learning journey. During a transitional time in education, both in Pakistan and the wider world, the conference focused on overcoming constraints that have previously held back the progress that leaders wish to bring about in Pakistan’s schools. 

As attendees deliberated on education in Pakistan with regards to the evolution of education across the world, it became apparent that opportunities are as strong as the challenges faced by schools.

Keynote speeches covered a range of topics including educational achievement and attainment, gender parity, assessment frameworks, and the need to focus on well-defined goals. The presentations focused on defining priorities for school leaders that would have the strongest impact on learners through empowerment.

During a round-table discussion, attendees were asked to identify their priorities and come up with solution-focused goals, with many sharing their views with the audience. Realities and constraints surfaced from the presentations as school leaders recognized common patterns in their experiences of managing and mentoring teachers and empowering learners. Many emphasized the role of textbooks and the pedagogical expertise of teachers during the transition away from outdated methods and mindsets.

In his welcome address, Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director of Oxford University Press Pakistan, spoke about our role in pushing the boundaries in education and research over the last 500 years and our commitment to publish the highest-quality academic and educational resources and research around the globe. He encouraged participants to engage in narratives that can enable strategic development in outcome-based education.

From the much-needed shift from teacher-centred to student-centred teaching, from print to blended learning, enabling access to technology, exploring the possibilities of AI, and revisiting assessment frameworks, Arshad spoke about how implementation of sustainable teaching and learning practices are at the forefront of efforts to empower learners. He explained that Pakistan’s socio-economic realities demand a system that bridges the inequality gap, where AI can bring cognitive assistance, and where students can access technology that will empower them to learn more.

The quality of textbooks and curriculum design also became a focus point as school leaders recognized the need to upgrade pedagogical practices so that students can understand and develop the skills that will be needed in the future.

Dr Penelope Woolf, our Director of Impact and Learning Design, explained the learning design principles that are used to design and develop content for our resources, in keeping with global frameworks, evidence-informed research, and teaching best practice. Dr Woolf’s presentation on impact outlined how educational success is measured and the factors that determine how holistic achievement becomes embedded in successful educational systems.

Our School Leaders’ Conference enabled attendees from across the country to discuss and define priorities that will empower learners and inspire progress. We look forward to hosting future conferences with school leaders across Pakistan.