The winners of the Pakistan Mathematics Olympiad (PMO) will receive scholarships to the top universities of Pakistan, besides other rewards. The competition stems from a collaboration between the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE).
This partnership itself is historic as it brings the two entities together. The university is said to have developed the syllabus for the competition. A model question paper has been prepared to aid the participants in their preparations. All students enrolled in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or O Level, Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) or A Level, or another equivalent educational program are eligible to participate in the competition.
Registration will start in the middle of September on the FBISE website. The organizers have urged those interested in the Pakistan Mathematics Olympiad to register themselves timely to be able to get a chance to showcase their skills at the national level. It is worth mentioning here that recently, Pakistani students clinched the silver and bronze medals at the 65th International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), which was held on the 11th of July in Bath, United Kingdom.
Their participation was made possible due to a collaborative program of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Science (PIEAS). The participants were shortlisted from the best performers on the National Science Talent Contest (NSTC). Moreover, those selected for the competition were trained at COMSATS University in Lahore, rigorously.
STEM education in Pakistan
Pakistan’s potential in the fields of science and technology remains largely untapped as the educational system barely caters to the learning needs of the students. The rote learning mechanism promoted at various stages of the academic journey curtails students’ ability to think independently, rather they are pushed to rely increasingly on the textbook. Many middle-class families increasingly push their children to pursue engineering or medicine, but the country has yet to see a boom in this field.
When observed, the problem often stems from how the educational system clips students’ wings by stopping them from questioning excessively and quashing their creative abilities. The government, on its end, is making strides in promoting STEM education, the desired results will not be visible until structural issues in the education system are resolved. Experts have time and again reminded the authorities that reforming the system to do away with rote learning and replacing it with meaningful learning is the key to the future.
However, that is not to say that the government’s initiatives are going to waste. Under the STEM Pakistan program, 4,000 public schools, with over 3.5 million students, are working on promoting science and technology. The students are encouraged to pursue their hobbies to make careers out of them. The government, through various initiatives, is also promoting information technology skills to enable the bulging youth to make the most of the boom the industry is experiencing worldwide.
Moreover, the growth potential in the tech field, besides opportunities for entrepreneurship, make it among the most lucrative fields for today’s youth. Furthermore, the exchange rate fluctuations make earning in a foreign currency the most desired outcome. In the post-pandemic world, the tech industry offers various avenues for individuals to be employed in foreign companies remotely. Unless the core issues are resolved, Pakistan will have a hard time on the road to sustainable progress in science and technology.