LAHORE: More than 60,000 students of different disciplines from matriculation to masters admitted to Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Regional Office, Lahore, in spring 2018 have not been so far provided with tutors.

The students were attending their fifth class out of nine in a semester and the university has yet to appoint tutors for holding tutorial meetings. The university is to appoint around 3,500 tutors for holding [tutorial] meetings for completion of the assignments of the students.

The students have started approaching the regional office to appoint the tutor so that they could get help from them to complete the assignments.

The university’s regional office although has issued the schedule for completing the assignment but it would not have appointed tutor for any class from matriculation, F.A/ FSc, B.A and 31 disciplines of masters.

Students have missed four tutorial meetings since session started

The students were of the view that they had been approaching the regional office time and again for appointment of teachers but no one from spring 2018 got a tutor. “We have received books and schedule for assignments but how can we complete our assignment because no tutorial meeting was held,” one of the students said.

The students said tutor is the backbone of the distance learning system but the regional office failed to provide tutors. “We have already missed four tutorial meetings and it is affecting our studies,” he said.

AIOU Lahore Regional Office In-charge Ahsan Shakoor told Dawn that the university had started registration of the tutors both for previous and fresh semesters to ensure availability of well-qualified persons for the job.

He said they had also extended the dates for submission of assignments [from June] to July to cater the issue.

Commenting on delay for appointing tutors, he said the [assignments] schedule was sent to the students with the books and most of them had submitted their assignments and those who need help would be given tutors.

Mr Shakoor said the delay in appointing tutor was due to upgrading the semester system and made it digital. “We will soon fix the problem of the students and will also ensure quality of education,” he said.

Sources claimed that Lahore regional office of the AIOU had maximum enrollment out of all 45 regions of the country.

He said the students could not complete their assessments and could not appear in the examination as tutors were not appointed on time.

He said the failure to appoint tutors [on time] would also impact new admissions.

A statement issued by the university said services of part-time tutors had been sought and final date for registration is June 17.

The registration of tutors both for previous and fresh ones has been started to ensure availability of well-qualified persons for the job. The interested persons have been asked to get them enrolled by the stipulated date through E-registration process.

It has been decided to complete the entire registration process by July 15 with the start of new semester. This is an opportunity for the eligible applicants to become part of the university’s teaching process.

The tutors already working for AIOU are also required to apply for E-registration through the notified process. The qualification and experience, prescribed for the tutors will be strictly followed.

The university through its digital transformation programme has created an online portal for the e-registration of the part-time tutors. The step is taken focusing on adopting the latest methods and technology in appointing qualified tutors for providing efficient teaching support to the university’s 1.4 million students. The newly-introduced online e-registration portal is user-friendly and the applicants can apply from their homes and workplaces.

The aspirants, who meet the qualification and experience requirements laid down by the university, can apply by visiting https://tutor.aiou.edu.pk and get themselves registered.

The applicants can also create their profile by using smartphone and accessing the portal. The registration will be completed after depositing a fee of Rs1,000 with any branch of MCB bank after 48 hours of downloading the fee challan from the portal.

The applicants will update the fee details on portal and retain the receipt. Their fee will automatically be verified from the bank. After depositing the fee, the applicants will submit the fee details on portal and they do not have to send the receipt copy to AIOU.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2019