Ministry: Education Bill must empower us to stop preschools run out of sitting rooms

Education Ministry officials on Sunday asked the Parliament to empower the institution to stop small-scale preschool operations run out of homes in Male’ City through the Education Bill.

Education Ministry officials were summoned for a meeting with the Parliament’s National Development and Heritage Committee for discussions regarding the evaluation of the Education Bill on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking at the committee meeting, State Minister for Education Aishath Athiya Naseer said the Education Bill drafted by the government declares the requirements for educational centers except for schools, and must be revised to declare the requirements for all educational centers, including private preschools.

“Preschools must also have a play area. Classes must have corners for specific purposes. Preschool operations must fulfill many such requirements. But some preschools are being registered and run out of sitting rooms of homes,” said Athiya.

She said that both preschools and primary schools must fulfill a specific set of requirements before they are registered.

She asked that the Education Bill be revised to allow Education Ministry authority over the registration process of educational centers, including the authority to order all educational centers to reregister with the Education Ministry within a specific period of time after the bill is enacted.

“The reregistration process will allow for centers which meet all the requirements to resume operations, to operate as schools,” said Athiya.

Education Bill establishes that all educational centers except for schools, which include day care centers, baby nurseries, preschools, tuition centers and tuition classes, must be registered, and that the registration and issuance of licenses to educational centers must be governed by guidelines established by the Education Ministry.

It also states that educational centers which are already in operation must reregister within two years of the enactment of the bill.