Islamabad, The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has decided
to establish a separate Directorate for Distance Education at five selected universities,
to speed up effort to make distance learning a success in Pakistan.
The decision has been taken keeping in view the large number of students appearing
annually in graduate and postgraduate examinations in arts subjects as private
candidates, in public sector universities.
Of these private candidates, a large majority fail to qualify the examination
due to which there is an increase in the dropout ratio at graduate and undergraduate
level, incurring a big loss of money, time and hope for the candidates as well
as society.
Realizing the untoward situation, the Higher Education Commission has taken up
the issue with the stakeholders holding meetings with experts on Distance Education,
and finally has come up with the conclusion that concrete measures must be taken
to make distance learning a success in the country, for the provision of quality
higher education.
It has been decided that private students will be recognized and dealt as Distant
Student and quality will be equally important for distance education to serve
a significant number of students in the country.