Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA) has lifted the action taken against Avid College, for offering courses that fail to meet required standards. The action was taken in June, under the Programme Accreditation of the Maldives Higher Education and Training Act, following several complaints it received on the college courses.
MQA highlighted numerous issues of Avid College, including complaints about ungraded student examination papers due to inadequate lecturer salaries, which prolong course durations and increase costs for students. Following a random batch audit, MQA identified seven programs that did not comply with Programme Accreditation guidelines and the Maldives National Qualifications Framework (MNQF). Therefore, it engaged in discussions with Avid College management on May 5, to address these concerns. As MQA had been urging the college to correct various negligences since 2017 through written documents, it decided to inform the college to conduct the courses in line with the Programme Accreditation. It further announced a suspension on issuing permits and accreditations for future courses.
In a statement issued, MQA stated that an important discussion was held with Avid College on August 18, aiming to review the action taken against the college. The authority stated that the college had now corrected all the issues previously mentioned, following an inspection carried out by the MQA team on August 22.
In addition to Avid College, MQA also took legal action against Clique College as well. It clarified that Clique College had not been authorised to conduct courses or programs under the E-Learning Delivery Modality. MQA further elaborated that during COVID-19, although colleges were issued with a general permit to conduct programmes, it was invalidated later. It cautioned Clique College to strictly adhere to Programme Accreditation guidelines and imposed a fine of USD 648 for conducting an educational program without accreditation, mandating the immediate cessation of the program.