Minister says proposed amendments will further strengthen homeschooling

The amendments to the existing Education Act are intended to further strengthen homeschooling, Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafeeu said on Thursday. 

The ruling PNC’s Huraa MP Dr Anaara Naeem has proposed changes to the Act to allow students to receive home-based education if they are unable to attend school.

Speaking to Sun, the minister said home-based education is already provided under a regulation. “We are amending it to strengthen it,” he said. Noting that homeschooling already exists, the minister said the current law does not require children to be registered in a school under homeschooling. “But now the law says that even a child who is not registered in a school must register in school under a strict regulation,” he added.

Former Education Minister Dr Aishath Ali wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that the government’s proposed amendment to the homeschooling provision would exclude some children with disabilities from mainstream and inclusive education. “And the fact that the provision includes individuals with mental and physical disabilities as well as ‘any other exceptional circumstances’ among those eligible for home schooling begs the question: what are these so-called exceptional circumstances? Who will determine them? And on what basis?” her post reads.

However, the 2021 Inclusive Education Policy already defines students with disabilities, students with different learning needs and students with special circumstances. These include students whose learning is affected by natural disasters, various forms of abuse, family problems, medical conditions such as blood transfusions, bullying, exposure to crime, and a range of social and psychological issues.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed also commented on Wednesday, posting on X that the younger generation should not be allowed to be misled or harmed in the name of homeschooling.