Hisham Sarwar
Pakistani schools and academies run on WhatsApp groups, photocopied notes and paper attendance registers. Teachers send the same PDF to three groups, answer “Sir, what is the homework?” every evening, and still have no idea who actually watched the recorded lecture. I have seen this for years while teaching and training thousands of students, so we built something to fix it.
Today I want to introduce ilmdiya, a learning management system (LMS) and school management system made in Pakistan, for Pakistani classrooms.
What is ilmdiya?
In Urdu, ilm means knowledge and a diya is the small lamp that lights a room. That is the idea behind the name: one teacher’s lesson, carried to every student who needs it.
ilmdiya gives every school, college, university, tuition academy or training team its own branded online portal. Teachers publish lectures in minutes, students learn on any phone, and owners and principals see everything from one dashboard. It is built by Innovista, with our office in Rawalpindi.
What teachers can do
- Publish a lecture in under five minutes. A title, a YouTube link or a PDF, slides or Word file, and one click. Every student in the class gets a notification.
- Set homework. Students submit from their phones, even as a photo of their notebook. Teachers add marks and feedback, and the gradebook fills itself.
- Run live classes. Paste a Zoom, Google Meet or Teams link and students get a Join button at class time.
- Take attendance. Mark every student Present, Late, Absent or Leave in one tap. The monthly register shows each student’s percentage and flags anyone below 75%.
- Reuse every session. Next year’s course is ready on day one. Edit it, do not rebuild it.
Built for Pakistan, not copied from abroad
Most learning platforms are designed for wealthy universities abroad, priced in dollars per student and too complicated for a busy teacher with a basic phone. ilmdiya is designed the other way round.
- Phone first. Most students learn on a smartphone and a mobile data package, so every screen is built for a small screen and slow internet.
- Ready for load-shedding. If a student misses class because the power went out, the lecture, notes and worksheet are waiting.
- Priced in rupees. A plan by institution size, with no per-student fees and no dollar bills.
- Every board. FBISE, the Punjab, Sindh, KP and Balochistan boards, Aga Khan Board, O and A Levels, university programmes and entry test preparation.
- Local support. Our team trains your teachers in Urdu or English.
Who it is for
- Schools: class-wise courses, daily lectures, homework, marks and attendance, with a live dashboard for the principal.
- Tuition and online academies: Matric, FSc, O and A Level and MDCAT batches with recorded lectures and notes, so absent students can catch up.
- Quran academies: live class links, recorded lessons, memorisation homework and monthly attendance, including for overseas families.
- Colleges and universities: departments, programmes and roles with secure access.
- Businesses: simple staff training and onboarding portals.
Free tools for every teacher
Even if you are not ready to move your school online, these are free to use with no sign-up:
- Attendance percentage calculator: shows your percentage and how many classes you can miss and still stay above 75%.
- Attendance sheet maker: a printable monthly register for any class, or a download for Excel.
- 120 teacher comments for report cards in English and Urdu.
- Lesson plan format with an example, also in Urdu.
Why I built it
I have spent most of my career helping Pakistani youth learn digital skills and earn online. One lesson kept repeating: technology only helps when it is simple enough for ordinary people to use every day. Pakistani teachers do not need more complicated software. They need one place where a lesson reaches every student, homework comes back, and nobody falls through the cracks.
ilmdiya keeps teachers in charge of teaching. There is no AI tutor replacing them. The software just removes the repetitive work so teachers can spend their time on students.
How to get started
- Go to ilmdiya.com/start and create your institution’s portal for free. You can sign up with Google.
- Add your logo and colours.
- Invite your teachers with one link you can share on WhatsApp.
- Publish your first lecture and take your first attendance.
If you run a school or academy anywhere in Pakistan, from Lahore and Karachi to Peshawar and Quetta, I would love for you to try it. You can also book a free demo and we will show you ilmdiya with your own classes.
Frequently asked questions
Is ilmdiya free?
You can create your portal free and start using it. Institutions pay a simple plan by size, in rupees, when they roll it out to every class. There are no per-student fees.
Do students need to install an app?
No. ilmdiya works in any phone browser and can be added to the home screen like an app.
Can a single teacher use it for private tuition?
Yes. Independent teachers and small academies can use it to run their own batches, share recordings and notes, and take attendance.
Does it work in Urdu?
Teachers can write lessons and notes in Urdu or English, and training and support are available in Urdu. The interface itself is in English for now.
