Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistani state-run schools are producing unacceptably low levels of learning outcomes in mathematics and science subjects, which is a deep-rooted challenge to Pakistan’s economic growth as well.

As per Pakistan Alliance for Maths and Science report, the average score for Class VIII students in maths in the National Education Assessment System (NEAS) exams conducted in 2014 was 461 out of 1,000; while for Class IV students the average score was 433.

In Sindh, Standardised Achievement Test (SAT) 2016 results show that average maths scores for Class V were 24% and average scores of science subject was 23% for the same class.

As of today, Pakistan does not provide the children of the least privileged parents a decent maths or science education. The Pakistan Alliance for Maths and Science was formed to work with the government to tackle the challenge of improving maths and science education in our schools, particularly at state-run schools.

A three-volume document compiled by researchers and education activists mobilized by the Pakistan Alliance for Maths and Science, under the patronage of a range of government and non-government organizations.

The purpose of the Powering Pakistan for the 21st Century document is to highlight the importance of maths and science education in Pakistan’s classrooms, especially those in government schools, where the least privileged of this country’s children study.

Volume III titled ‘A Roadmap for Transforming Maths and Science Education’. In this volume the society presented ideas and recommendations that would be helpful for the educational system of Pakistan.

A Roadmap for Transforming Maths and Science Education is a summary of ideas and recommendations that can help alter the quality of maths and science education available to Pakistani children.

The basis for the roadmap is a framework of analysis for the problems in maths and science education, as presented in Volume II of Powering Pakistan for the 21st Century. This framework highlights the problems in maths and science education, from the very big-picture, macro-level issues to the issues which inherent to the individual experience of children in the classroom, and with learning material.