President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has on Sunday ratified the Maldives Higher Education Bill (Law no.: 7/2021). The law sets down the legal framework of standards and policies to provide and develop higher education and training in the Maldives.
The act stipulates the establishment of the Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA), an independent entity mandated with assuring the quality of post-secondary qualifications awarded in the testimony of educational attainments. The law would transfer all property, assets, resources, budget, responsibilities, legal obligations, and staff employed by the previously created Maldives Qualification Authority to the new body. The Minister of Higher Education would be liable for all matters related to the new MQA.
The law further outlines processes to register and operate higher education institutions and stipulate their standards. It ensures establishing a higher education system with equal opportunities for all Maldivians and promotes longevity of the educational services.
Parliament passed the Maldives Higher Education Bill on April 28, 2021, at the 36th sitting of the first session of the Parliament this year. Upon ratification, the bill was published in the Government Gazette and has come into effect.