The two-day ‘A-Level Expo and Seminar 2014’ organised by British Council kicked off on Tuesday in Durbarmarg, Kathmandu .

Inaugurating the event, Education Minister Chitra Lekha Yadav said the fair is being organised at a very opportune time as students await the results of School Leaving Certificate. She said the expo is a good opportunity for students as it will help make up their minds on the subjects of their choice.

“One of the main components of democracy is to provide choices and these kinds of expo will help students choose the right academic path in future,” said Yadav in her session on ‘A-level education in Nepal and how Nepali students could benefit from quality education.’ The minister further said that the need to translate information into knowledge and convert it into wisdom is vital for learning.

With over 10 stalls of various colleges offering A-level courses, the expo is being organised to showcase the benefits of the Cambridge GCE A-Level curriculum.

The British School, Malpi Institute, Little Angels, Ace Institute of Management, Trinity International, Islington College, Saipal Academy, Campion Academy, Kathmandu University High School and Kastamandap College among others are participating in the event.

Delivering a welcome speech, British Ambassador to Nepal Andrew James Sparkes said he was an ‘A level’ student himself.

“A Level prepares students for the subjects of their choice,” he said, adding that the course will  make a valuable contribution to a student’s academic performance.

Speaking at the event, Director of Examination Services in South Asia Steve Adams said while speaking on ‘British Council Exams Perspective’ that British Council spends millions of pounds around the world to protect the integrity of the examinations conducted by the council. The organisers said the theme of the expo is focused on issues such as grade equivalence, and comparative analysis between A-Levels and HSEB.

Lekendra Pandey, a student of Bal Bikash School of Budanilkantha said the expo has been in providing informations needed to choose the best A-level school for him.

Suchita Shrestha of the British Council said the first day of the event saw over 500 students, parents and teachers visiting the stalls to learn about A-level schools. and programmes they offer.

She said the second day of the event on Wednesday will see the Country Director of British Council Brendan McSharry speak on ‘Quality entry into first and second degree education’, while Principal of Budanilkantha School Keshar Khulal will speak on ‘Comparative analysis between HSEB and A-Level’.

source: the kathmandu post,4 june 2014