Oxford Launches Three New Core Subjects in Pakistan

KARACHI: Oxford AQA has announced the introduction of three compulsory subjects in Pakistan — Urdu, Islamiyat, and Pakistan Studies — marking a significant shift in international education for local students.

The initiative aims to equip Pakistani learners with modern, globally relevant education while preserving national identity. The newly developed curricula are designed to strengthen critical thinking, analytical skills, and exam preparation through a balance of international standards and local context.

Oxford AQA Director Salma Adil said the launch is a milestone that reflects the organization’s commitment to providing schools with resources for both global competitiveness and local relevance.

In a parallel development, the Cambridge Examination Board has, for the first time, granted Pakistani students free access to their exam answer scripts. Students will be able to view their marked papers online or at their schools, ensuring transparency in grading and allowing them to make informed decisions about re-checks or scrutiny.

Cambridge’s Country Manager for Pakistan, Uzma Yusuf, explained that the facility will cover all enrolled O- and A-level candidates. She added that no charges will be applied for viewing answer scripts, and students can now review their papers with full transparency, an important step in empowering them academically.

Pakistan currently has the largest number of Cambridge candidates worldwide, with over 130,000 enrollments, ahead of the United States, China, India, and Dubai. Yusuf emphasized that Cambridge syllabi remain concise and streamlined, focusing only on essential material to ease the burden on students.

Together, these steps by Oxford and Cambridge underscore Pakistan’s emergence as a key hub for international education, while ensuring that cultural identity and academic integrity remain central to student development.