MDP calls for changes to Quran assessment in SSC examinations

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called on the Ministry of Education to revise the proposed assessment system for Quran examinations under the Secondary School Certificate (SSC), expressing concern that awarding students only a pass or fail could affect their future opportunities.

The Education Ministry recently announced plans to introduce Quran as an examination subject under the SSC for the first time, with an initial assessment scheduled to take place in selected schools in November 2027.

While the opposition party has not objected to including Quran in the examinations, it has raised concerns about how students' performance will be assessed and recorded.

Speaking at a press conference held at the MDP office on Tuesday, former Dhaandhoo MP Yaqub Abdulla, representing the party's Education Committee, said Quran should be taught as a subject in schools and that students should be able to recite it correctly by the time they complete their education.

However, he questioned the proposed assessment method, which he said would award students either a pass or fail rather than a graded result.

"From what I understand, the subject will be assessed on a pass-or-fail basis. Students will receive a certificate stating whether they have passed or failed Quran," Yaqub said.

He expressed concern that students who receive a failing result would have that outcome recorded on their academic certificates, potentially affecting how they are perceived when applying for employment or pursuing other opportunities.

Yaqub said such a result could have consequences beyond a student's school years, particularly in Maldivian society, where Quran education holds religious and cultural importance.

"Wherever they go in this Muslim society, they will have to carry a certificate stating that they failed Quran. This could negatively affect how society views the student," he said.

He urged the Education Ministry to reconsider the proposed grading system to avoid placing students at a disadvantage.

The ministry has decided to conduct the Quran examination in 10 schools in November 2027 as part of a pilot assessment before extending it to schools across the country.

Under the announced arrangements, once the examination is introduced nationwide, students will be eligible for the SSC and O-Level Top 10 awards only if they also pass the Quran subject.

The MDP's concerns centre on the consequences of the proposed assessment system rather than the decision to introduce Quran as an examination subject.

The party has called for changes to the assessment method before the examination is implemented more widely.