Islamabad: Over 1,000 prisoners have enrolled themselves with Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) to continue their future study for having a respectable life in the society after completing their imprisonment.
Recently, the University upgraded its existing facilities in jails throughout the country providing free education to prisoners, as a part of its endeavour taking care of marginalized sections of the society. Education from Matric to BA had been made free for all prisoners.
The process of taking admissions has been simplified. Prospectus and others allied material were sent to Jail authorities free of cost, enabling the prisoners to take admission in the current semester for which admissions are open till September 28.
The University has worked out a detailed procedure for holding tutorial meetings, workshops and examination within jails’ premises. In the efforts of increasing enrolment rate among inmates, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui himself visited jails in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Rawalpindi and held discussion with jails' authorities on the procedural issues.
He also wrote letters to Inspectors General, Prisons of the four provinces seeking their support to implement to achieve the desired results. In letter he requested the IGs Prisoners to circulate the information to all the jails of their provinces to motivate the prisoners to get free education for the better future and become responsible citizen of Pakistan'
Dr. Shahid Siddiqui while presiding over a meeting that reviewed the educational plan for the prisoners said that the AIOU being the public sector institution will fulfil its responsibility towards the society.
In order to meet the educational needs of the disadvantage groups, the University has recently stepped up its efforts providing free education to disabled students and drop-out girls. In order to serve the disadvantage groups of the society, special accessibility Centres (E-learning) have been set up in the Unviersity’s 44 regional offices for the visually impaired students.
According to Dr. Zahid Majeed, University’s focal person, the officers concerned have been asked to make a stamp bearing the words “Only for Prisoners” and affix that stamp
on all those admission Forms which will be issued to Jail authorities for the prisoners.
