ISLAMABAD – Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani acknowledged that Beaconhouse has made quality education accessible to all sections of society through Beaconhouse School System, The Educators, United Charter Schools and the not-for-profit Beaconhouse National University. Additionally, he praised the role of the Mahmud Ali Kasuri Welfare Trust, through which Beaconhouse has consistently supported community uplift and responded with compassionate action during natural disasters and humanitarian crises.
Beaconhouse marked its golden jubilee on its 50th anniversary with “Rethinking Education: 50th Anniversary Edition”, a landmark gathering of leaders, educators, and policymakers from Pakistan and around the world. Held at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad, the event celebrated fifty years of educational excellence while inviting reflection on the future of learning in a rapidly changing world. The event was attended by ministers, diplomats, academics, industry leaders, as well as members of the Beaconhouse community.
The Acting President paid glowing tributes to the founder of Beaconhouse School System, Mrs Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri, for her vision and leadership in expanding access to quality education and professionalising the teaching sector. “Her entrepreneurial spirit has empowered thousands of women to enter education and leadership, generating wide-reaching social and economic impact. Many of today’s educators and school owners began their journeys at Beaconhouse, a legacy that continues to shape the nation,” he said.
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani expressed his appreciation for the fact that from its humble beginnings in 1975 with just 19 children, Beaconhouse has grown into one of largest school systems in the world, educating nearly 400,000 students across six countries. This, he said, was a remarkable story of vision, perseverance, and national contribution.
Four high-level roundtables explored the next 25 years of education from the perspective of schooling, higher education, teacher development, and Pakistan’s crisis of out-of-school children. Insights from these dialogues will inform Beaconhouse Vision 2050, a framework to reimagine education ecosystems for the decades ahead.
Speaking at the event, Founder and Chairperson Beaconhouse Group, Mrs Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri highlighted the social aspects underlying Beaconhouse’s strategic direction and pointed out that currently 19,000 students at Beaconhouse were studying on scholarship (not including BNU and The Educators), reflecting a strong commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.
She said she was particularly proud of the fact that the efforts of Beaconhouse School System had led to empowerment of women and inculcation of a sense of dignity to the profession of teaching in which housewives had been turned into professional educators. Going down the memory lane, she recollected how originally teacher trainers were brought in from the United Kingdom, and ultimately Pakistani Master Teacher Trainers were sent abroad to train teachers in Pakistan. As a result tens of thousands of women turned into entrepreneurs and professional teachers, setting a role model for other sections of society.
She felt confident that in this way, the role of Beaconhouse was not just limited to the educational landscape of Pakistan but also impacted the socioeconomic development of the country.
Mrs Kasuri said she was proud to see the alumni of Beaconhouse excel in different sectors of life in Pakistan, and congratulated the alumni who took part in the panel discussion at the Convention Centre on their achievements.
Mr Kasim Kasuri, CEO Beaconhouse, remarked, “We aim to understand how we, as individuals and as part of a wider global community, can continue to build a legacy like the one created for us. The next 25 years will not be defined by what we build, but by how courageously we rethink what learning can be.”
