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ISLAMABAD, Jan 23 (APP):The Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC) hosted Dr. Haddy Jatou Sey, Head of the Education Sector at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), at its Islamabad headquarters.
Dr. Sey, a globally recognized educationist with over 28 years of experience at the World Bank and former Minister of Basic and Secondary Education for the Republic of Gambia, engaged in strategic discussions with Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, Executive Director of IBCC, and his team to explore avenues for addressing educational challenges across ICESCO’s 53 member states.
During her visit, Dr. Mallah presented IBCC’s groundbreaking initiatives, including the Model Assessment Framework (MAF), which aims to transform Pakistan’s educational assessment system by moving away from rote learning and adopting a conceptual, skills-based approach aligned with national curriculum objectives.
The meeting highlighted the shared vision of IBCC and ICESCO to develop a unified Model Assessment Framework for ICESCO member states. This framework will standardize assessments, enhance education quality, and equip students with essential skills to succeed in a globalized world. Both organizations agreed on the importance of capacity-building initiatives, proposing collaborative training programs, workshops, webinars, and seminars for educators. These initiatives will focus on areas such as standards-based assessment design, item writing, psychometric analysis, and the integration of digital tools to modernize education.
The collaboration also envisions the establishment of systems for seamless recognition of qualifications and equivalence across ICESCO member states. This would facilitate educational and employment mobility within the Muslim Ummah and beyond. Additionally, leveraging ICESCO’s technical expertise, the partnership aims to introduce advanced tools, such as Question Item Banks (QIBs), On-Screen Marking Systems, and Real-Time Proctoring Technologies, to enhance the efficiency and reliability of assessments.
Dr. Haddy commended IBCC’s recent advancements, including its digital transformation, capacity-building efforts, and the establishment of client-centric services like the one-window facility. She assured ICESCO’s full support in providing technical expertise, funding, and resources to accelerate these reforms.
One of the key outcomes of the discussions was the proposal to host an “International Conference of All Examination Boards of the Islamic World” in Islamabad in 2025-26. This conference would provide a platform for education leaders from ICESCO member states to collaborate on standardization and innovation in assessments.
The proposed partnership aims to address common challenges across ICESCO’s member states, such as teacher training, quality assurance, and assessment standardization. Through a shared commitment to innovation and inclusivity, IBCC and ICESCO are working to counter literacy poverty and empower the Muslim Ummah by ensuring equitable access to quality education for all.
This collaboration underscores a mutual dedication to revolutionizing education and fostering meaningful cooperation among Islamic nations, paving the way for a brighter future for students across the Muslim world.