Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The first distance education university in South Asia, the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is a computerised institution but unfortunately, with many flaws in the basic academical procedures, the university still issues roll number slips to its students filled with information of different examination centres for each paper.

According to the AIOU students and its officials familiar with the issue, the varsity, despite tall claims of provision of ample facilitation to the enrolled students, was still issuing the roll numbers slips to the students for appearing in the desired subject/courses examination by listing more then one examination centres.

Daily Times obtained many such roll number slips from the varsity sources, comfirming the fact that separate examination centres were quoted for the same examination and this resulted in causing great trouble to many students particularly the female students of the varsity.

Muhammad Ilyas, who appeared for his B.Ed exam in the last semester (Spring 2016) said that he, as per the roll number slip issued by the AIOU, had to visit three different locations of the twin cities to sit for the examination conducted by the varsity.

He said that in some papers of the course, the examination centre was directed as being located at Sector G-8, while in some papers the exam centre was listed to be at G-10 and a third centre was mentioned as being situated at Satellite Town, Rawalpindi.

Ilyas added that he felt the folly was very painful and time killing as he was an employee at a private institution in the capital and being an employee the there was a time constrain on him.

Another female student of B.Ed, Nazarat, while sharing her roll number slip of last semester’s exam, held in May, said that she was surprised that she had to appear at four different exam centres for a single degree/discipline examination.

“This was totally due to the AIOU’s mismanagement. The varsity administration is just making tall claims, but nothing has practically been done so far”, she said, adding that she was not only one example who had suffered due to the futile system of the varsity but hundreds of others also faced problems.

A BA student, Bilal Shafqat Hussain, who is also a victim of the issue, said that he appeared for the exam in the semester Spring 2016 and had to go to a couple of exam centres. One was at Sector F-10 while the other was at Sector G-7.

“The purpose of two various centres for appearing in same exam was beyond my understanding”, Hussain said, adding that he was a resident of Chaklala Scheme-III and fixing his exam centre in two different locations of Islamabad was very illogical.

Another student of B.Ed, wishing anonymity as he is also serving in the university, said that he got very troubled by this approach of the varsity as he appeared for his first B.Ed paper at a centre established in Sector G-8.

Without checking the roll number following the first paper, he visited the same centre but was shocked as on reaching the centre he came to know that he had to appear at the exam centre located in Saddar, Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, beside the said issue the varsity’s system is filled with many demerits. Several students across the country have complaints that the varsity administration, despite tall claims did not update their required academic details on the official website.

Yasmeen, a fresh student of MA, who hails from Chakwal said that she paid the fees and all other related charges of the varsity, but her registration had not been updated on the website.

“I have also repeatedly tried to contact the varsity’s regional centre but nobody is responding to my phone calls”, Yasmeen remarked.

She said that the AIOU had over 50 per cent enrollment of female students but the varsity was not paying any heed to them.

Despite repeated efforts the VC Shahid Sidiqui did not respond on the issue.