Parents stage protest outside Education Ministry over leaked A'Level papers
Parents have called for the examinations to be cancelled, and for students to be allowed to re-sit the exams in October/November
Minister of Education Dr. Aishath Ali met with protestors outside the Education Ministry on Monday afternoon
A group of parents staged a protest outside the Velaanage on Monday afternoon after the Ministry of Education failed to respond to students sitting this year's May/June A'Level exams having their papers leaked online on the day of the exam.
The A'Level Physics and Biology paper had been leaked online from abroad last week, with the AS Chemistry paper scheduled for Monday afternoon also leaked hours before the exam.
Parents of students sitting the exams had gathered outside Velaanaage to call for the resignation of Education Minister Dr. Aishath Ali and Mohamed Ihsan of the Department of Public Examination. They stated that it was unfair for students to be expected to sit the exams after the papers had been leaked, and demanded that the exams be cancelled so that students could re-sit the papers in the October/November A'Level exam series.
While the A'Level exams were cancelled in Sri Lanka and Pakistan after the papers were leaked online, parents at the protest stated that they could not understand why Maldivian students were being expected to sit the exams.
Parents also raised concerns that while A'Level exams were graded by Edexcel UK in the past, this years exam would be graded in the Maldives, and claimed that the Ministry of Education had failed to inform both parents and students of such changes.
The Education Ministry and Department of Public Examinations are currently in talks with Edexcel UK over the leaked papers. Speaking to Raajje TV on Sunday night, DPE's Mohamed Ihsan stated that discussions were underway with the examination board, and that the Maldives had appealed to have students re-sit exams for the leaked papers.
While Minister Dr. Aishath Ali had last week stated that the A'Level exams would continue in the Maldives until a decision was reached by Edexcel UK, she has since assured that the Ministry will be prioritizing the best interest of students in resolving issues with the exam which began on 26 April. Minister Dr. Aishath Ali had been seen leaving Velaanaage to speak to parents protesting outside the Education Ministry, and had reassured parents that they should not be worried about the situation.
