The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), the largest distance learning institution in the country, passed a deceased student in a 24-day workshop he was required to attend on campus, a report in the local media said on Tuesday.
According to the report, staff members routinely strike deals with students to mark them present at workshops they fail to attend. However, evidence of such deals surfaced when an MA Arabic Student (name withheld) from Gujrat was marked present in a 24-day workshop which took place after his death.
Before the workshop commenced, the student contacted some officials at the AIOU Arabic Department and informed them that he was too unwell to attend the workshop. According to the media report, the officials offered to mark him present at the workshops in exchange for Rs 5,000. The deal was made and the money dispatched. However, the student passed away on August 1, 2014 but the university officials followed through on the deal and marked him present at the workshop which began a few days after his death.
According to the recently announced result, the student with roll number Y574473 passed the 24-day workshop which took place after his death. The result card states that the student is now only required to appear for written exams.
According to rules, if a student is unable to attend both the exam and the workshop, the result states R/E/W (Reappear in Exam and Workshop) and if a student attends and passes the workshop but fails or does not appear in an exam, the result states R/E (Reappear in Exam).
An R/E is written next to the student’s name on the result card.
A faculty member told the media outfit that the university employs a standard education system, which requires students to complete their assignments independently and attend learning workshops before appearing for examinations.
“Unfortunately AIOU has been unable to counter cheating methods such as copied assignments and false attendance records. Such practices have been carrying on, unabated, for the last many years,” he said. “If we manage to put a stop to cheating, our university can produce best students,” the faculty member added.
AIOU Controller Examination Sohail Nazir Rana said the university will hold an enquiry to determine the facts.
