HEC, AIOU to introduce national policy on open distance learning soon

Islamabad

Higher Education Commission (HEC) in collaboration with Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will introduce a national policy on open distance learning (ODL) within next few months.

This was stated on Tuesday by the HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed while addressing the concluding session of the two-day national seminar, held here at the AIOU.

The seminar, participated by the representatives of thirteen institutions including HEC and the country’s major universities formulated a draft policy-document on ODL after threadbare discussion on its various features for consideration of HEC.

The seminar was a follow-up of an international conference held at AIOU in May last year, on the initiative of  Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor of the AIOU that is pioneering institution in successfully running the ODL system since 1974.

HEC chairman appreciated the move by the vice chancellor who had picked up the idea of formulating a national policy on ODL during the vice chancellors’ visit to Canada last year. The University, first in South Asia has also at its credit publishing ODL research journals in Pakistan for the first time.

Underling the dire need of such policy, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said the HEC will circulate the proposed draft document among the stake-holders for their final feed-back and a national conference will be re-convened for giving final touches to document.

He asserted that the policy must contain a mechanism of quality assurance at the delivery level. The government and the HEC will never compromise on the quality of education.

While acknowledging that the ODL system provides viable salutation to the meet growing educational needs, he said it must be strong enough to match the market’s demand and serve the interest of the society. The degrees and certificates, earned through the distance learning should carry due weight, both quality and acceptance-wise, he added.

Dr. Shahid Siddiqui congratulated the participants of the seminar for preparing a consensus document that he hoped will serve as a milestone in making ODL system more strong and extensive one. He hoped that it will meet the changing demand of the society,

Earlier, Dean Faculty of Education Dr. Nasir Mahmood gave a presentation about the seminar’s final recommendations regarding the broader principles and guideline of the policy, covering all aspects of the open distance learning mode.  Chairman Management Sciences Dr. Hasan Raza also spoke on the occasion.