The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) was established in May, 1974, was the second Open University in the world and first in Asia and Africa with the main objectives of providing educational opportunities to masses and to those who cannot leave their homes and jobs. In the last 34 years, the University has more than fulfilled this promise. The UK Open University was, thus established in 1969. The AIOU is attempting to meet this challenge and to keep a window open for these classes by keeping the costs at the minimum and by creating a Student Assistance Fund. The rate of literacy, incidence of dropouts, and excess to higher education is much lower in the poorer classes of Pakistan. The university offers 19 Ph.D courses, 192 at M.Phil/MS, 516 Masters level, 67 in Teachers Education, 282 Bachelor/Diploma, 80 Higher Secondary School, 30 Secondary School, 12 Women's Middle Education, and 114 Functional Non-Credit/Women's Basic Education courses.
The university broadcast 264 radio and 382 TV programmes in 2005-06. The university broadcasts educational programmes on FM radio at 91.6 MHz. The university has established a video-conferencing network in seven regions to conduct classes online for Computer Science courses. The regional network consists of 36 Regional Campuses/Centres with 82 part-time regional coordinating offices throughout Pakistan. The university has 1,274 study centres for students studying in the fields of science, technology and computer sciences in collaboration with private institutions in all major cities of Pakistan.
It has opened up educational opportunities for the working people and has provided access to the females on their door steps. It has also done pioneering work in the field of Mass Education. It is now breaking new grounds in the fields of professional, scientific, and technical education. It is attempting to reach out to the remotest areas of Pakistan. It is also attempting to harness modern information Technology for spreading education in Pakistan.
The idea of Distance Education was first mooted in UK in late 60s by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Wilson. He was of the view, that educational opportunities must be provided to those who might have missed better education due to early employment and wish to upgrade, their knowledge and skills, in their spare times in the evenings at home. Since then it has become a major institution of learning in UK and has opened up opportunities for millions of working people. The gospel of distance and Open Learning has, since then spread throughout the world. More than sixty Open Universities are operating around the world on the basis of Distance Education. Modern information Technology has made the task of Distance Education much more easier and effective.
The AIOU, when established in 1974, . It, thus, speaks of the foresight of the policy-makers of that time. As the last 34 years of AIOU have proved, Distance Education has opened up new opportunities for millions, particularly women, and supplemented the efforts of the federal and provincial governments in a big way and that too without becoming a burden on their resources.
The idea of Distance Education assumed greater relevance and acceptance in Pakistan due to the factors of poverty and relative deprivation of women. The incidence of poverty is much higher in the rural areas, where formal education is much less established. The rate of literacy and education is much lower for females in Pakistan, particularly in the rural areas, due to poverty and conservative traditions. Many conservative parents under the pressure of old age traditions do not allow their daughters to go out to the schools. The AIOU, through its system of Distance Education has, thus, provided educational opportunities to these housebound girls and women. This explains the reasons why the majority of the students enrolled with the University are females.
Latterly, the University is trying to fulfill another current need. Professional and technical education in Pakistan is becoming very costly, especially in recent years, because of government policy to encourage private sector in these fields. The lower middle class and poorer classes are being marginalized and their children have very little chance to get high education in fields like Business Administration, Computer Science, Medicine and Engineering.
Administration and governance
Pro-Chancellor (Federal Minister for Education, Ministry of Education)
Vice Chancellor (Chief Executive Officer/Head of the institution)
Executive Council (Governing Body)
Faculties and their departmentsFaculty of EducationEstablished in 1984, the Faculty of Education's origin predates the university. A National Institute of Education was established in 1973 as a part of the Federal Ministry of Education, to improve education at school levels through in-service training of Master Trainers. This institute became a part of the university in June 1975. The Faculty of Education has the following departments:
Adult and Continuing Education
Distance and Non-Formal Education
Educational Planning and Management
Science Education
Special Education
Teacher Education (Secondary)
Teacher Education (Elementary)Chancellor (President of Pakistan)
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