Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafeeu has said a proposed amendment to the Education Act will establish clear legal rules for home-schooling and prevent the system from being misused.

Minister Shafeeu said the amendment aims to strengthen inclusive education by ensuring that no student is excluded from learning, while clearly defining who qualifies for home-schooling.

Home-based learning will be provided following an assessment of applicants and their specific needs, he said.

Huraa MP Dr Anara Naeem has submitted a bill to amend the Education Act to introduce provisions for home-schooling.

Home-based learning was introduced under the previous administration’s 2021 policy on inclusive education. The programme supports students with special learning needs who cannot attend school because of severe disabilities, epidemics, disasters or other circumstances.

A total of 46 students are currently receiving education at home under the programme.

“There is no limit now. It is very broad,” Minister Shafeeu said.

He said the proposed legislation would formalize the existing policy, restricting home-schooling to students registered at a school and requiring a special assessment to determine eligibility.

“No student will be given the opportunity to home-school without being registered in a school. But the current rules do not require the student to be registered in a school,” he said.