Manadhoo Constituency MP Husnee Mubarik has stated that the introduction of home-schooling by amending the law is not being done to facilitate the things former President Mohamed Nasheed described and that it is not a basis being introduced to leave the child unregistered at a school.
Nasheed has been heavily criticizing the bill introduced by the government to amend the Education Act to include home-schooling so that students who are excused from going to school due to a disability or a special circumstance can still receive an education. He described it as a "concubine bill" and alleged it is a form of "deceptive thinking" meant to not send girls to school.
In response to Nasheed, Mubarik said the meaning of home-schooling is not the same as leaving a child without being registered at a school or unattended within the system, and that the bill clearly states that. He said that the previous government had gazetted a set of guidelines that have outlined rules for teaching students at home under a school's purview.
"I condemn the opinions that state the bill was introduced to facilitate concubine opportunities, that this is a vision to facilitate the opportunity to exclude girls from education which is against Islamic principles. Providing home-schooling opportunities in this manner is not meant to separate girls from the education this nation offers so that they can be educated while being kept at home so that they can be taught in a specific way," Mubarik said.
He questioned why there is a belief this facilitates a move toward secularism if they believe children will be introduced to extremism when they are taught at home.
According to Mubarik, steps will be outlined in the act to assure home-schooled children will not be subjected to such an ideology. He also said additional steps will be defined in the guideline written up under the act, and that it is not an amendment meant to open doors to extreme ideologies.
Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu stated on Friday that 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, and that this is an effort to define the rules of home-schooling in the act.
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.
