Parliament’s North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo) submitted a paper to the Committee on Secondary Legislation proposing measures which can be implemented to strengthen confidence and credibility in Maldivian higher education in a move aimed at combating issues such as plagiarism of intellectual work of others, paying third parties to complete projects, and using generative AI.
In a letter addressed to Parliament Speaker Abdulla Raheem on Monday, Kudoo emphasized the expansion of higher education opportunities in the Maldives, including both in-person and online programs. He added that the growth of online learning has increased access to education for students residing in islands.
Nevertheless, he emphasized the downside of this, with serious concerns regarding the integrity of online exams. In this regard, Kudoo highlighted rising complaints regarding such plagiarism of intellectual work of others, paying third parties to complete projects, and unpermitted use of artificial intelligence. The lawmaker, citing the possibility of students passing their courses with these tactics, stressed the shortage of tools to identify them.
He added that such practices undermine the value of certificates earned through honest effort, making it difficult for employers to trust these qualifications. He described this as a huge loss to the Maldivian higher education system.
Kudoo also slammed Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA) for delays in responding to these types of complaints, while also accusing the Authority of huge negligence in ensuring the quality of some courses.
He highlighted some of the practices followed in foreign nations, citing that colleges and universities are responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of the courses they conduct.
 
Kudoo underscored some of the measures that can be taken by the Parliament to address this, adding that comprehensive action will uphold confidence in Maldivian educational qualifications, both locally and internationally, and project the rights of honest students.