Former President and Chairperson of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Mohamed Nasheed, has claimed that a proposed legal amendment to introduce homeschooling for special circumstances is a calculated move to keep girls out of school and subject them to concubinage.
In a post on X, Nasheed called for public opposition to the bill, emphasising the critical importance of resisting the amendment.
"The objective of this education bill is a deceptive ideology aimed at preventing girls from attending school and turning them into concubines. It is vital that we stand against this," Nasheed stated.
The amendment, submitted to Parliament by Huraa MP Anara Naeem, proposes that children may be exempted from physical school attendance based on physical disabilities or other special circumstances. It suggests that such children be allowed to receive an education through a homeschooling program, provided it adheres to established guidelines.
The bill further stipulates that children who are unable to attend school or participate in a homeschooling program due to the severity of their disabilities would be exempt from the compulsory education requirement.
The amendment also mandates that the Ministry must establish regulations defining the criteria for determining when a child’s degree of disability exempts them from compulsory education.
During the floor debate, MDP lawmakers raised several concerns. Galolhu South MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem warned that introducing homeschooling without a robust regulatory framework could create space for the spread of extremist ideologies.
