It was with as much joy and relief as the students that we, at the British Council, reached the last day of the exam season in Pakistan last week.

Over 100,000 students have sat British exams over the past five weeks in over 100 locations across Pakistan – the vast majority GCSE’s and ‘A’ levels, as well as ACCA accountancy exams.

Despite the serious potential for bombings, shootings and, even, actual threats at our venues (not to mention a cyclone!), not a single exam was cancelled; testament I think to all the hard work the team put into the preparation over the past five months and the flexibility we had as a result of the contingency plans in place.

I managed to get to see most of the venues and it was quite humbling to talk to the candidates and find out how much it means to them to be able to sit their exams in the current security environment, let alone see the professional pride with which our colleagues were going out every day and delivering the work. Access to these exams provides a stepping stone for many young Pakistanis by widening the employment and educational opportunities available to them. For those taking ‘A’ levels, this is often the next step to UK higher education, delivered in the UK for those who can afford it and in Pakistan or a third country for many others.

It’s been hard work, stressful at times with plenty of broken nights’ sleep – for the students and our staff alike – but there have been light moments to keep our sprits up as well, such as the sight of the emergency services we had on standby at one venue in Lahore administering medical treatment to a candidate trying to fake a near death experience to get out of his exams and one student even being picked up from a venue by helicopter!

The great enthusiasm and commitment our students have shown not only demonstrates the value they place in UK education; it also helps strengthen the relationship between Pakistan and the UK. We have a shared past, a shared present and will share our futures in many ways, not least in the educational heritage of modern Pakistan.

Darrin Vardon works for the British Council in Pakistan