Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA) has warned Maldivian students to exercise caution when opting to study in neighboring Sri Lanka, citing unpermitted courses in the country.
It is MQA that declares educational courses recognized in the Maldives.
The Authority, via an announcement last Thursday, appealed to Maldivian students opting to study in Sri Lanka to ensure their choice of educational institute and their choice of program are accredited by the Authority. MQA emphasized that it will not recognize certificates that do not fall within this criterion.
According to MQA, it only recognizes programs that adhere to standards set forth in the Maldives National Qualifications Framework (MNQF) and have entry requirements equivalent to those of programs accredited under the framework. Moreover, the programs should be conducted by institutes approved by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission and University Grants Commission.
In Sri Lanka, tertiary programs from higher diploma or below are approved by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission, while tertiary programs from degree and higher are approved by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education.
MQA underscored that certain Sri Lankan educational institutions are offering programs that deviate from the approvals they were granted, some of which are run in partnership with foreign countries. The Authority emphasized that these programs have not been authorized by the relevant Sri Lankan authorities.
“The Authority notes that it will no longer accept certificates from unpermitted programs. Hence, we stress the importance of students acquiring the “intended” documents issued by MQA before they depart for their studies,” the statement read.
Notably, there have been an increased cases of fake educational certificates recently, prompting MQA to limit attestation of documents issued by the Authority solely to itself.