Nasheed warns homeschooling amendment aims to keep girls out of school, calls for resistance

Former President and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed has stated that the purpose of an amendment to the Education Bill, which allows for homeschooling under special circumstances, is to prevent girls from attending school and to enforce religious dress codes. In a post on X, Nasheed called for opposition to the amendment, saying, "The aim of the Education Bill is the cunning mindset of preventing girls from being sent to school and dressing them according to religious norms. It is very important to stand up against this." The amendment, submitted to the People's Majlis by Anara Naeem, Member of Parliament for Hura constituency, proposes exemptions from compulsory school attendance for children with physical disabilities, psychological conditions, or other special circumstances, allowing them to receive education through a Home-Schooling Program. It specifies that children who cannot attend regular school due to disabilities or who are homeschooled are not subject to compulsory education. Conditions for homeschooling under the amendment include: the child must have a physical disability, psychological condition, or special circumstance preventing regular attendance; guardians must be financially capable of providing homeschooling; and the child must be registered in a formal education school. The amendment also requires the Ministry to set criteria for determining which children are exempt and states that children who complete secondary education before age 16 are not required to attend school. Opposition MDP members have raised concerns during the bill's debate. Meekeeil Ahmed Naseem, MP for Gaalolu South constituency, warned that without a strong regulatory framework, homeschooling could create space for rigid thinking.