Celebrating academic achievements of Pearson learners

Islamabad: Pearson and British Council Pakistan hosted the Outstanding Pearson Learners Award Ceremony (OPLA) in Islamabad to reward learners for their outstanding results.

OPLAs are awarded to learners worldwide, and in Pakistan were awarded to those who took Pearson Edexcel iPrimary, iLowerSecondary, International GCSE, GCSE, International A level and O level examinations in the October 2022, January 2023 or May/June 2023 exam series and achieved outstanding results.

The award categories that recognized over 100 learners for their Pearson qualifications were for The Highest Mark in the World, The Highest Mark in Asia, The Highest Mark in the Country, The Highest Mark in the Province and Highest Subject Marks.

These top performing international Pearson qualifications students are highly sought after by prestigious universities and employers as they have proven to be among the best in millions of peers globally. As the world’s leading learning company and the UK’s largest awarding organization, Pearson Edexcel offers what it takes to achieve educational excellence working with International schools in Pakistan.

The Pearson High Achievers award ceremony was attended by Kathryn Booth, Director, Pearson School Qualifications Pearson Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Turkey, Ayesha Zaheer, Head Business Development Pakistan, Pearson, Fareed Shaikh, Regional Development Manager Pakistan Pearson, Abdullah Lateef Khan, Regional Development Manager Pakistan, Pearson and Amanda Ingram, Exams Director, Pakistan, British Council alongside Pearson Edexcel partner schools’ leadership, principals, teachers, parents and distinguished guests.

Pearson and British Council also recognised the dedication of the Teachers who contributed to the success of these young learners with the Outstanding Teacher Award and exam officers who supported the teachers and students in reaching their goal were awarded the School Exam Officer Award. Pearson also awarded Centre Recognition Awards to its partners to appreciate and support their journey of offering Pearson-Edexcel qualifications in Pakistan.

The contribution of British Council team to effectively support in smooth exam delivery was also recognized through Exceptional Support Award.

Kathryn Booth, Director, Pearson School Qualifications Pearson Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, on the occasion shared, “It’s an honour to be in Pakistan to join this year’s Outstanding Pearson Learners’ ceremony. The High Achievers Award Ceremony is always special and memorable day for Pearson Qualifications, and I am delighted to be part of this event recognising the hard work and perseverance of the high achievers. Pearson is dedicated to helping Pakistani students make progress in their lives. There are over 150 winners from Pakistan this year with eight of those winners scoring the highest marks in the world. These results are testament to the hard work of students, teachers and parents, in Pearson schools across Pakistan. Amanda Ingram, Exams Director, Pakistan, British Council, addressed, "I am delighted that through our world-class examination experience, students are able to excel in their exams and make Pakistan proud globally. The High Achievers Awards Ceremony is an important annual event whereby Pearson and the British Council are able to recognise and celebrate these achievements in the best possible way.”

Ayesha Zaheer, Head Business Development Pakistan, Pearson said, “It’s just amazing to acknowledge the award winners that we have today. The parents, the teachers, the heads of schools and even the non-teaching staff matter, everyone contributing to ensure that we impact the lives of these learners positively.” Pearson is the world’s leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. Pearson Edexcel qualifications are modern, progressive qualifications recognized worldwide for academic exce­llence and rated gr­a­d­e-f­o­r-grade equivalent to Pakistani marks by IBCC.

Now in their second year, Pearson Edexcel Onscreen exams are tried and tested with more qualifications and subjects being added each year. The pandemic brought teaching and learning online. So, the introduction of onscreen assessment is the natural evolution. Thousands of students around the world are choosing to take their high stakes exams onscreen rather than on paper because it feels more natural to them.