ISLAMABAD, Aug 16 (DNA): Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is taking

initiatives to achieve its objective of promoting and strengthening

educational culture in jails by providing educational services to the

prisoners of jails throughout the country.

The central focus of the campaign is to provide basic education and

training to the prisoners so that they may become responsible citizens

of the state and play their role in the path of national progress and

development once they are free after serving their imprisonment period.

In the initial phase of this project, AIOU is establishing libraries in

the jails and books have been provided to 12 jails which include 2 jails

from each of the four provinces of the country.

These views were expressed by Prof Dr Zia Ul Qayyum, VC AIOU while

reviewing the effectiveness of the project ‘Jail Education’. It is

pertinent to mention here that this project is being implemented in

collaboration with jail authorities in accordance with the directives of

federal ombudsman.

Admission forms and prospectuses for Autumn 2020 semester have, already,

been provided to the jail authorities free of cost while teaching

workshops, tutorial meetings and final examination will also be

organized within the premises of jails.

Prof Dr Zia Ul Qayyum further informed that prisoners have been admitted

to the university’s various educational programs, ranging from primary

to higher education, free of cost besides various professional courses.

In future, female prisoners will be provided facilities related to

vocational and professional education.

He further informed that in order to make this project more effective,

jail superintendents have been appointed as the coordinators for these

programs and they are provided reasonable remuneration in each semester.

The teachers appointed for the prisoners also assist jail

superintendants and during the examinations they also serve as senior

superintendants.  Dr Zahid Majeed, university’s focal person for the

project, informed that all the admission forms provided to jails are

stamped ‘For Prisoners Only’ to make the project transparent. DNA

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