AIOU has introduced skill-based courses for females, says Siddiqui

Islamabad
The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has introduced special skill-based courses for females, enabling them to earn their livelihood and to have a respectable place in society.
Out of the existing 1.3 million enrolment, 54% are the females, mostly living in far-flung areas of the country.
“The AIOU is fulfilling its national duty as a mega university in public sector," said Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui in his message to students on inauguration of the admission process for new semester (Spring 2015).
Dr. Siddiqui said that the admission policy has been further streamlined to facilitate students. A working arrangement has been made with relevant banks to ensure that information regarding deposit of fee by every student should be immediately communicated to the university management for further action.
He said some new courses have been introduced from Secondary School Certificate (SSC) to PhD levels to meet contemporary needs and encourage people to actively participate in the socio-economic uplift. Forty-four regional offices of the university have been activated to attend students’ queries on an urgent basis. The Complaint Management Cell has been made effective as well to redress problems of students.
Earlier, addressing a two-day symposium on curriculum development in higher education, Dr. Shahid Siddique said that the AIOU will incorporate innovations in its curricula to prepare young people to meet present day challenges in socio-economic fields.
“We have to break status quo in existing mode of study at different levels. The AIOU has developed a mechanism to update its curricula and textbooks on an urgent basis," he said. The promotion of knowledge, skills and human values will be kept in view while redesigning and refining curricula. The training of teachers is imperative to ensure execution of curriculum in the classroom.
A teacher must be a role model what he teaches to his students in class. If students are taught about discipline and good things the teacher should himself practice them to get desired results. The curricula, he asserted, should enable students to get themselves well-adjusted socially and economically in their practical life.