ISLAMABAD – Over 1000 prisoners enrolled with Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in autumn 2017 semester for upgrading their qualification to have a respectable life in the society after completing their imprisonment.
This was stated by the Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui while presiding over a meeting that reviewed the AIOU’s educational facilities being extended to disadvantaged groups.
Recently, the University improved its existing facilities in jails throughout the country providing free education to prisoners, as a part of its endeavor to take care of marginalised sections of the society. The free education is available to prisoners from Matric to BA-level.
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 join the university for carrying out their future education.
The VC said other aspiring prisoners could take admission in the coming semester, spring 2018 that begins from the first week of next month. The university worked out a detailed procedure for holding tutorial meetings, workshops and examination within jails’ premises.
In the efforts of increasing enrollment rate among inmates in the wake of the University’s motivation campaign, Dr Shahid Siddiqui visited jails in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, and Rawalpindi in recent years and held a discussion with jails’ authorities on the procedural issues.
He also wrote letters to Inspectors General, Prisons of the four provinces seeking their support in implementing the proposed educational plan.
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 live as responsible citizens.
Dr Shahid Siddiqui said they believe that jails should work as correction centers, providing the criminals an opportunity to rehabilitate and amend themselves and in this connection, it is a duty of the educational institutions to do their role, he added.-Online
