In Pakistan, most prestigious schools, prefer European names and have mottos in Latin or English, whereas schools meant to impart religious education use Urdu, Arabic, or Persian names and mottos. This represents a colonial mentality that has no place in modern Pakistan.  Hence Maktab’s name and motto were chosen from Arabic and Persian. We certainly have a global and modern outlook, yet we are also a school rooted firmly within Pakistan’s rich historical and cultural context.

The name Maktab was chosen because on one hand one of the meanings of maktab is “a school”, a generic school, and on the other hand Maktab with its tightly knit, intensely creative community, is a truly unique educational experience. This dichotomy in our name represents a hope that one day such maktabs will blossom all over Pakistan, and every child in Pakistan will have access to a meaningful, intense yet caring educational experience that Maktab offers.