Amendment proposed to revoke city council's responsibilites to manage preschools

An amendment has been proposed to the law on preschools to revoke the responsibilities city councils to manage preschools. The city councils are mandated to manage the preschools under the Decentralization Act.

Galolhu-south MP Ahmed Mahlouf proposed to add a clause to the law on preschools at the parliament session today. The amendment stated that even though Article 42 (g) of the Decentralization Act states that all preschools should be managed by the city councils, the preschools in the Maldives shall be managed by Ministry of Education.

Article 42 (g) of the Decentralization Act states that preschool services, senior's education and other practical and skill improvement programs shall be managed by the city councils.

Proposing the amendment to parliament, Mahlouf said that the ward specific schools and their preschools programs were established by the sheer hard work of the people. He called for the stop to the schools being privatized and for them to be manage providers of an important service as opposed to being driven by business incentives.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members called for points of order against Mahlouf’s amendment claiming that it contradicts the constitution.

Chair of today’s session Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Ahmed Nazim adjourned the session at 9:40 am after the session lost order due to calls for points of order. The session was resumed at 10 am and was adjourned again to be resumed at 11 am.