So what subjects to choose for O Levels? This is an important part of a student’s life and choosing the right subjects will go a long way. Unfortunately most students are not wise enough at the age of 14/15 to make a decision while parents can be influenced by a number of things e.g. a parent may think “I have done sciences so you should do it too or there is no engineer in the family so you should become one”. All this can result in a conflict. As a parent make sure to talk to your child’s teacher to find out about his progress. Go through his notebooks, talk to him, talk to his friend’s parents and parents of students who have recently completed their O Levels. Visiting the following sites can be helpful:

Cambridge International & British Council

Don’t rush through things and do not try to enforce your choice over your child. Try to understand his point view and accordingly approach him. If he is adamant on taking sciences and as a parent you feel he cannot do it, ask his teacher to guide him. Show him the benefits of other subjects but give him time and space to make his final decision. If you are getting your child admitted to a school in Pakistan or changing schools, research school websites for information about subjects, how long it takes to do O Levels, fee structure, faculty members etc. Generally there is the science group, humanities and commerce group:

Source: http://pak-education-blog.blogspot.com/2014/01/o-levels-subject-combination-chart.html

Another matter that parents must look into is that in certain schools O Levels is completed in 3 years while in some it takes 2 years. Compulsory subjects are often done in the first year of O Levels. Again check with the school as the system may vary from school to school. Further you need to find good tutors for your child, depending on his abilities. Unfortunately very few schools are striving hard to ensure that children are given the best possible guidance for their final exams. Many students have to hire tutors throughout the year while more intelligent ones might revert to it at the end of the term. Hence O Levels can be quite an expensive as well as an exhausting experience. Therefore my advice to you would be to keep the expenses in mind and make savings accordingly! But do remember education is an investment that will not only be returned in the future in the form of a good job but it is something that will make your child’s personality. So make sure you make the best choice. It is a shame that our government does not provide much support to schools and parents and does not enforce a single standard of education throughout the country. This makes it very difficult for parents to decide between schools and education systems. On top of it when every other private school highlights the best results in the newspapers, parents are overtaken by these glamorous ads!

Schools offering O Levels in Pakistan are numerous. If you simply type “best O level schools in Pakistan or your city name”, you will get about 40 to 50 school names. But again I would suggest:

• Visit the school websites and then visit schools physically
• Meet the faculty to ensure you are making the right decision
• Take an appointment with the coordinator and student counselor and get yourself familiar with all the requirements, procedures, what to expect during the next two/three years in terms of school input, your child’s progress and how you can help your child.

 All the best!