AIOU upgrades free educational facilities in jails

Islamabad: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has prepared a special strategy upgrading its free educational facilities in jails across country, allowing the prisoners to become useful residents of the society.

The educational services are being provided to the jail intimates from Matric to Bachelor’s level. Now, the procedure of getting admission has been further simplified.

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The prospectuses along with the other allied material were being provided to the jail authorities free of cost so that the ambitious and eligible detained persons could get admission in the current semester.

Last date for the submission of application forms for admission in various programs is March 6^th, 2017.

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The educational strategy for the prisoners was reviewed at a meeting which was organized under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Shahid Siddiqui, who assured that the varsity will continue to serve the depressed sector of society.

All possible efforts will be made to bring a large number of prisoners in the educational framework so that they can get back a respectable position in the society after completing their imprisonment.

So as to motivate the interest of prisoners in education, the Vice Chancellor himself visited jails in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta as well as in Rawalpindi.

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Furthermore, he wrote letters to Inspectors General, Prisoners of the 4 provinces looking for their support to implement to accomplish the wanted outcomes.

The increase in the educational facilities is in conformism along with the directions of Supreme Court regarding jails’ reforms and the guideline set by Wafaqi Mohasib.

Allama Iqbal Open University is the only university in Pakistan that facilitates the neglected section of the society, like prisoners in educational hunts.

The dedicated services of the varsity involve free textbooks and other academic support, besides tutorial workshop and examination facilities within the premises of jails.

Presently, there are over 1000 prisoners in different jails who are registered with the AIOU in various programs.

“We wish to raise this number through awareness campaign and also by enhancing our educational facilities, “said AIOU Vice-Chancellor.

Under the proposed strategy, the Jail Superintendent will act as Coordinator and he would be paid a reasonable remuneration for this reason on a semester-wise basis.