NA Standing Committee on Education meets
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—Standing Committee on Education met under the chairmanship of Begum Tehmina Dasti on Tuesday at Parliament.
Vice Chancellor Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) andRector Virtual University (VU) briefed the Committee. Briefing the Committee, Vice Chancellor, AIOU informed the Committee about the objectives and scope of activities of hisuniversity.
He informed that the university was established with the aim of providing educational facilities to the masses, including those who could not leave their home and jobs and training of teachersand provision of opportunities for research for advancement and dissemination of knowledge through unconventional means.
He further informed that university had successfully achieved the objectives of its establishment and had significantly contributed towards enhancing the literacy rate in the country. The Committee appreciated the performance of the university, however, it emphasized that the AIOU may focus on providing counselling to the students who had left their studies or were unable to continue their studies or they were in the far flung areas of the country.
The Committee directed the University management to provide boarding facilities to the private students in order to reduce burden on other educational institutions.
Committee also directed to simplify the re-checkingprocedure of examination papers and the aggrieved students shouldbe shown their papers in order to satisfy them.
Later on, the committee was briefed by Rector, VU about the objectives and scope of activities of the university. The Committee appreciated the performance of the University.
The Committee directed the VU Management to launch anextensive media campaign to create awareness among the students about their programmes as most of the students were unaware about the activities and programmes of the university.
The Committee also stressed to arrange workshops, seminars in backward areas of the country.
The meeting was attended by Begum Zeb Gohar Ayub, Prof. Aasiya Azeem, Haji Khuda Bux Nizamani, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Prof Khalid Wahab, Syed Asad Murtaza Gilani, maulana Syed Nek Zaman, Aisha Munawar, Dr. Farida Ahmad, Nafisa Munawar Raja and Shakeela Khanum Rashid.