Status of Abandoned Children: A Comparative Study of Islamic and Pakistani Law

This paper deals with the rights of abandoned children in the context of Pakistani society. The main issue is regarding legal status of such children which results in violation of their rights. Islamic law provides for rules for abandoned children which can be provided as a source for legislation in Pakistan. The paper argues that there is a need to formulate a clear legislation to ensure rights and protection of abandoned children. Currently the laws enacted in Pakistan lack provisions related to abandoned children. On the one hand the solutions like adoption/kafalah should be channelized and regularized and on the other hand serious efforts should be made to create awareness regarding rights of abandoned children among the masses. This is a comparative study which discusses and analyses relevant provisions in Islamic as well as Pakistani law.

Developing a Computer Based Instructional Material Model for Teacher Training at Aiou

The objectives of the study were: to review the role of computers as instructional material in teacher-training programmes at AIOU; to identify the role of computers as instructional materials by resource persons/tutors/academicians in classrooms of teacher training programmes at AIOU; to specify the role of computers as instructional material by students of teacher training programme of AIOU Islamabad; to develop a computers based instructional material model for teachers-training programmes of AIOU and to integrate computer instructions and the teacher training programmes at AIOU. The study was descriptive (survey-type) in nature. It was conducted through the offices of the DNFE and Dean of Faculty of Education. Prior to the actual study, pilot study was conducted in May of 2002. Three types of the questionnaire were developed by the researcher and these were piloted on a small sample. The instruments were improved in terms of language, content, format and style. A few of the items were either changed or removed. Questionnaires were sent to the scholars and researchers in the field of education for the purpose of validation. Final study was conducted in the Fall of 2003. viiOut of 750 mailed questionnaires 425 were received back. The respose rate remained percent. Amaster sheet was used to collect data. Each response choice was given a numerical value. Questionnaire for the students contained three parts. First part was to collect demographic data. Second part consisted of 54 closed-ended questions. Questions were formulated in the form of Likert scale. Third part contained open-ended questions in order to find the opinion of the students. Questionnaire consisted of several sections according to various aspects of the computer based instructional material model. The other two questionnaires were formulated for academicians and tutors in order to verify the information collected from student questionnaire. The findings revealed that there was a need to use more computers based instructional material in education. It was found that computer technology plays a pivotal role in teacher training programmes in the distance learning system. The respondents were of the view that in the future age of technology, it is important to prepare teachers who could use computer based instructional material in their classes. It was also considered effective to use email and Internet. To realize importance of computer based instructional materials most of the respondents agreed to have computers in all the classrooms for all the students and stressed to modify curriculum and textbooks according to the use of computer based instructional material. Resource person and instructors were considered to have the power to plan and set time to use computer based instruction material. Experts like academicians, resource persons and tutors need to verify the information gathered from student questionnaires.