QUESTION
Highlight the differences among the Educators, Beacon House, and City schools. And describe their academic programs and curriculum
Course: Secondary Education
Course code 8624
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment
ANSWER
Beacon House School System
Beacon House School System (BSS) in Pakistan is the
Pakistan-based branch of an international company with the same name. It is a
group of private feepaying academic institutions located throughout 30 cities
in Pakistan. BSS provides preschool education, primary education, secondary
education, and preparation for the International General Certificate of
Education (GCE) and local Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations.
The Beacon House School System has its origin in the
establishment of Les Anges Montessori Academy, which was founded in 1975. As
soon as the Government of Pakistan permitted the establishment of private
schools, the first Beacon House Public School was set up in Lahore so that the
students of Les Anges would be able to continue and complete their schooling in
the same type of educational environment.
Les Anges Montessori Academy, the factor nursery for Beacon
House Public School, Lahore was established in Lahore in November 1975; Beacon
House Public School, Lahore, followed in April 1978. Beacon House, Karachi was
established in January 1979, Beacon House, Islamabad, in April 1982, Beacon
House, Rawalpindi and Beacon House, Clifton, Karachi in 1985, and Beacon House,
Peshawar in 1986. Since then, schools have been opened in Hyderabad, Quetta,
Multan, Faisalabad, Satellite Town (Rawalpindi), Gujranwala, Hafizabad,
Sheikhupura, Gujrat, Abbottabad, Wah Cantt, Sargodha, Jehlum, Sadiqabad,
Rahimyar khan and Bahawalpur, and further branches have been opened in Lahore,
and Karachi bringing the total number of branches in the country to 83 in 1998.
The student strength of the System as a whole is nearing 35,000 and teacher to
student ratio of about 1 to 15, a figure that compares favorably with
international standards.
The Beacon House group has around 274,000 full-time students
in eight countries and is possibly the largest school network of its kind in
the world. Established in November 1975 as the Les Anges Montessori Academy
with 19 toddlers, Beacon House has since grown into an international network of
private schools, imparting distinctive and meaningful learning to students all
the way from birth through its partnership in Pakistan with Gymboree Play &
Music to post-graduation, through the Beacon House Nation.
Of these students, close to 105,000 study at the flagship
network, the Beacon House School System, in Pakistan as well as overseas, while
the remaining are largely enrolled at The Educators, a parallel school network
operated by the group with over 168,000 students.
The Beacon House of today is thus much more than just a
stand-alone school. Through distinct and independent divisions across multiple
destinations including the UK, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Oman, the
UAE, Pakistan, and Belgium, it caters to the education and training needs of a
large and diverse group of individuals of varying ages, socioeconomic
backgrounds, and nationalities, with its activities also extending beyond
education in some countries.
Beacon House has always laid tremendous emphasis on the
development of human capital. From its initial association in the 1980s with
The Moray House Institute of Education in Scotland to its more recent teaching
training links with the University of Bradford and MARJON, Beacon House has
institutionalized in-service teacher training like no other school.
So, with rigorous standards that demand up-to-date teaching
skills and a range of challenging programs, the Beacon House School System brings
success within the reach of every student.
Beacon House: Organization and
Resources
A school that is part of a System has many advantages over a
school that operates on its own:
•
The system provides a wide variety
of staff development programs.
•
New ideas and improved methods
spread readily from one school to another.
•
The Head of the school is relieved
of much routine administration and is able to concentrate more of his/her energies
on the academic and educational aspects of the school.
•
And, of course, many parents welcome
the case of inter-city transfer of their children from one Beacon house School
to another.
Beacon House Academic Conference:
The Beaconhouse Academic Conference meets at intervals to
consider academic matters affecting the Beacon House School System as a whole.
It is attended by all Directors, principals Heads, and senior Teachers of
schools in the Beacon House School System. Over the last ten years, it has grown
in size from a small group who could all sit around one table, to a major
conference with an attendance of almost two hundred.
The Educators
Established in November 1975 as the Les Anges Montessori
Academy for toddlers, Beaconhouse has since grown into a global network of
private schools, institutes, and universities, imparting distinctive and
meaningful education to students from pre-school to post-graduation. The
Educators, a project of Beaconhouse, has completed eleven years of service to
educational development across the country with remarkable success. Established
in 2002, it now has 800+ campuses & the market leader in Pakistan's
educational landscape with a presence in over 225+ cities and a student
strength exceeding 175,000+. This makes The Educator's outreach the largest
compared to any other private school in the world.
The City School
Background:
Until the late 1970’s the provision
of English-medium education was very limited with only a few such elite of
Pakistan’s society. With the denationalization of private schools in 1978,
parental demand of English-medium education has been responsible for rapid
growth in this sector of education.
Beginning:
Established in Karachi in 1978. The implementation and
maintenance of rigorous standards in both the academic and administrative
spheres gave TCS a reputation for quality education that enabled it to complete
with long-established schools. The City School is today one of the largest
private school networks in Pakistan with branches in all the major cities
across the country. It currently has 185
schools in 52 cities with over 126,000 students in 458 owned and franchised
schools. The City School continues to expand its reach to meet the demands for
quality education. The knowledge and skills-based curriculum derived from the UK
national curriculum guides students from Nursery to Cambridge International
Examinations (for the 16 and 18-year age group), qualifying them for the IGCSE,
and O and A Level examinations. The uniform implementation of the curriculum
gives parents, students, and teachers the advantage of a smooth and efficient
transfer from one school to another within the system.
History
The City School was founded in Karachi in 1978. As it evolved and grew, its name came to be synonymous with qualities of vision,
action, and change which have made it a unique force in the field of education
in Pakistan today.
As parents became increasingly discerning in their search
for ever higher standards of academic excellence for their children, more and
more branches of The City School opened their doors. Progressively senior
educational levels were accommodated with the major emphasis continuing to be
placed on the latest teaching techniques and on a curriculum comparable with
the best in the world.
During the 1980s, The City School continued to grow
nationwide, every new branch subscribing to the common commitment to provide
equal learning opportunities for students and to maintain standards of
professional excellence in the recruitment and training of teaching staff. This
latter objective led, even in the formative years of the School, to the
In-service Faculty Training.
During this decade, matriculation classes as well as
Oxford/Cambridge ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels were introduced with The City School
becoming a registered examination center for these British examinations.
In 1993, this state of affairs persuaded the management of
The City School to initiate its Higher Education Program (H.E.P_ in Karachi, in
response to the desperate need for such a college. The Northern Consortium of
British Universities and The City School agreed on a number of degree courses
as well as on a one-year Foundation Course, through which second-year
intermediate students could obtain an ‘A’ Level equivalent.
The
establishment of the H.E.P. represents a quantum leap for The City School,
which now caters to students all the way from Pre-Nursery through the first
year of a British degree.
Today, The City School has multiple Schools and a continuous expansion
program. The prestigious campus of the City School-PAF-Chapter, currently being
purpose-built, is the newest acquisition and unquestionably a model of its
kind.
Curriculum & Academic Philosophy
Graduates from The City School secure positions in top
universities worldwide. The students, according to Cambridge International
Examinations' annual results analysis, are amongst the highest achievers in
their city, their country, and, in some cases, in the world. The curriculum
encourages a student-centered approach where learners have an active role in
their learning process and develop the skills and ability to make a significant
contribution to society. Its particular strength lies in the integration of
digital media and ICTs in an array of learning programs. The City School
provides more than 120 courses each year across age ranges and revises them
in accordance with the cumulative experience of its teachers and pupils. The
selection of teachers is based on their experience as curriculum developers and
syllabus writers. In addition, City School regularly appoints curriculum
consultants from the UK to lead teams of City School teachers in revising
their curriculum and syllabi. The City School curriculum and methodology are
designed specifically to ensure a smooth transition in teaching and learning
from the primary sector through the middle years and on to the final two years of
the public examinations’ syllabi. Digital media and ICTs in The City School
Network are shaping the methodology of delivering online education and adding
efficiency, convenience, interactivity, and outreach to the array of learning
programs. The City School has taken the initiative of implementing a
state-of-the-art Classroom/ Learning Management System capable of providing its
students with academic resources anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstances.
The City School promotes and encourages co-curricular activities on all of its
campuses. Students are encouraged to learn new skills, take responsibility,
assume leadership, work under a leader, organize events, conduct programs, and
experience real-life situations.
Its primary school is based on a curriculum derived from the
UK's National Curriculum, while its secondary school education is divided
between the local Pakistani curriculum and the Cambridge-regulated
international GCE programs.[4] Founded in Karachi in 1978, the
school's head office is based in Lahore with regional offices in Karachi and
Islamabad.[5] In collaboration with various other national
institutions, it also runs the City APIIT.
Related Topics
Evaluation Process and Historical Background of Textbook
Aspects of Curriculum Development
Textbook and Criteria for Selection of Books
Differences among the Educators, Beacon House, and City schools
Functions, Role and Core Value of FGEI
Specific Objectives of Secondary, Elementary and Special Education
Need and Scope of In-Service Teacher Education, In-Service Training of Computer Education to Teachers
Define evaluation. Differentiate between internal and external examination
