Galolhu North MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo) has submitted a proposal to the People’s Majlis seeking to strengthen legal and administrative measures to prevent the use of forged and unaccredited certificates in the Maldives.
He said the purpose of the proposal is to maintain the standards of the Maldivian education system by curbing the acquisition of fraudulent qualifications and the issuance of unaccredited certificates. He warned that fake certificates undermines national educational standards and poses a risk of increasing the number of unqualified individuals in the labor market.
A key recommendation to address this issue is to legally reclassify the possession of forged certificates as a major criminal offense. The proposal suggests increasing the current fine of MVR 10,000 for such offenses and implementing more stringent penalties.
Furthermore, the lawmaker proposed legislative changes to grant broader legal powers to the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA). This includes a mandate to publicly disclose information regarding parties that issue certificates in violation of established regulations.
To leverage modern technology in tackling the issue, the proposal also advocates for the establishment of a central database that would provide a single point of verification for all educational qualifications.
The prevalence of forged certificates in the Maldives has seen a significant rise recently. Experts have noted that this trend continues to erode the overall quality and integrity of the country's educational system.
