Pakistani intermediate credentials will soon be immediately accepted for admission to international schools, according to Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, executive director of the Inter Board Coordination Commission (IBCC).

In an exclusive interview, he disclosed several changes meant to digitize the certification and verification procedure to The Express Tribune.

Dr. Mallah affirmed that IBCC was actively working with the UK's ECCTIS to get intermediate diplomas from Pakistan accepted for direct university admissions in the UK. He also mentioned that other nations and international boards were making progress.

"IBCC's objective is to safeguard the integrity of educational credentials in Pakistan," he said.

According to him, the several school boards' long-standing demand of sealed verification envelopes has been eliminated. In Pakistan, online verification methods have now been implemented by all 29 education and technical bodies.

He also mentioned that the online process for confirming the credentials of religious seminaries will start shortly.

IBCC introduced an online application method for equivalency and attestation to expedite paperwork and processing times. As a result, certificates are now given with authentication based on QR codes.

The Inter-Boards Committee of Chairman was given a new orientation in 2023 when it was renamed the Inter-Board Coordination Commission by an Act of Parliament, according to Dr. Mallah.

In addition to developing a regulatory framework for foreign boards that are registered through a website, he stated that IBCC now oversees foreign educational qualifications in Pakistan.

We evaluate foreign boards using 15 precise standards. "We want to make sure that only reliable credentials are accepted as equivalent in Pakistan," he continued.

One of the most important digital reforms is the introduction of automated verification portals for colleges and other organizations, which allow for real-time updates via email and SMS for each application that is sent to the IBCC.

There are also plans to create a central database for educational records.

A new grading system that reflects actual student performance and lessens social pressure on students to achieve higher grades is one of the major reforms he oversaw.

Furthermore, students now have two chances every year to improve their scores since the "second annual examination" has taken the position of the "supplementary exam" designation.

To improve assessment standards, additional reforms include standardizing academic calendars across all Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISEs), offering students more alternatives for re-evaluation, and setting up teacher training programs.