Public forum on Education Bill scheduled for Sunday

The Parliament is scheduled to hold a public forum on the Education Bill, being reviewed by the National Development and Heritage Committee, on Sunday.

The Parliament has issued a statement announcing the public forum will be held on the fourth floor of its new administrative building at 08:30 pm on Sunday.

The panelists for the public forum are; Education Minister Dr. Aishath Ali, South Fuvahmulah MP Mohamed Mumthaz, Baarah MP Ahmed Abdulla, Chairman of Mandhu College Ibrahim Ismail (Ibra), and expert in the education field Ahmed Saeed (Gahaa Saeed).

The Education Bill was drafted by the Maldivian government and sponsored by MP Mumthaz - who will appear as a panelist in Sunday's public forum. The bill was opened for public opinion by the National Development and Heritage Committee on June 21.

The Education Bill is designed to establish the legal framework to improve the effectiveness of the deliverance of the constitutional right to education.

The bill declares the fundamental principles of the national education system, the educational rights of children, the responsibilities of parents, guardians, teachers and the state, and other standards and policies governing the national education system.

The National Development and Heritage Committee is also reviewing a separate Higher Education Bill, sponsored by Velidhoo MP Mohamed Abdulla Shafeeq. The bill, too, is open for public opinion.

Parliament’s Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated that both the Education Bill and the Higher Education Bill require large scale discussions among all stakeholder, including the general public.