The Maldives Qualifications Authority has formally introduced a national framework to unify Quranic education, aiming to eliminate inconsistencies in curricula and standardise academic progression across higher education institutions nationwide. The initiative, gazetted as a comprehensive set of minimum standards by the MQA, targets long-standing obstacles that students have faced while navigating varied programme content and instructional durations across institutions.
Such challenges have persisted for years, the MQA said, with students pursuing qualifications in Quranic sciences frequently encountering structural barriers when transferring between centres or advancing to higher levels of study. Disparities in curriculum led many to repeat material previously unaddressed, the authority elaborated, creating inefficiencies and delaying advancement. According to the MQA, these inconsistencies posed the greatest hindrance to those seeking diploma- and degree-level credentials.
In response, the MQA enacted the 'Minimum Standards for Educational Programmes of the Holy Quranic Sciences'. The framework lays out a clearly defined national curriculum covering programmes from Certificate Level 1 through to undergraduate qualifications. It also standardises key academic parameters, stipulating the duration of instruction, defining credit requirements at each level, and outlining eligibility criteria for enrolment.
A commitment to ensuring seamless academic mobility lies at the heart of this policy, the authority stated, allowing students under the restructured system to transition smoothly from one level of study to the next at another institution without encountering curricular misalignment. The change, it added, is expected to establish a more structured, coherent, and equitable educational experience for all students of the Holy Quran.