ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has prepared a special plan for upgrading its free educational facilities in jails throughout the country, enabling prisoners to become useful citizens of the society.
The educational plan for prisoners was reviewed at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui, who assured that the university would continue to serve the deprived section of the society. All possible efforts will be made in bringing maximum number of prisoners in the educational net so that they could regain their respectable position in the society after getting out of the prison.
The educational facilities are being given to the jail inmates from Matric to BA level. The process of taking admissions is simplified as the prospectus and the other materials are being provided to the jail authorities free of cost.
The last date for the admission is March 6.
In order to motivate the prisoners’ interest in education, the vice- chancellor visited jails in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Rawalpindi and wrote letters to the inspectors general (Prisoners) of the four provinces seeking their support to implement to achieve the desired results.
The increase in the educational facilities is in conformity with the Supreme Court‘s directions regarding jails’ reforms and the guideline set by Wafaqi Mohasib.
The vice-chancellor said that currently, there are more than 1000 prisoners in various jails who are enrolled with the AIOU in different programmes. “We wish to raise this number through awareness campaign as well as improving our educational facilities”, he added.
Under the proposed plan, the jail superintendent will act as the coordinator and will be paid a reasonable remuneration for this purpose on semester basis.
Teacher to be nominated in jails will act as the assistant to coordinator and will also be paid remuneration. He will also perform duty of the centre superintendent during the examination, to be conducted within jail’s premises.
The university has appointed its senior official Dr Zahid Majeed as a focal person for the purpose.
They wrote letters to the inspectors general (Prisoners) of the four provinces seeking their support to implement to achieve the desired results.
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