Schools prepared for the new academic year: Minister

Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu stated today that schools are fully prepared for the start of the new academic year, which begins tomorrow after a month-and-a-half-long break.

In an interview with <i>Mihaaru</i>, the Minister confirmed that the delivery of all necessary textbooks to schools has been completed. He further noted that teacher allocations have been finalized, ensuring that institutions are ready for the commencement of classes.

However, Shafeeu highlighted certain challenges, specifically regarding the ongoing receipt of transfer forms for students moving from the islands to Malé. He also noted difficulties caused by some foreign teachers who inform the ministry at the last minute that they will not be arriving.

"We have already sent all the required textbooks to every school and have now even locked the storage facilities. The delay arises when a student transfers to Malé after their books have already been sent to their island, necessitating the books to be brought back to Malé. This can cause some delays," the Minister explained.

Regarding staff, he noted: "Teachers were expected to report for duty yesterday. However, there are occasionally delays with teachers arriving from abroad. Sometimes, it is only when they fail to show up at the last minute that we realize a teacher is not coming. Finding a replacement at such short notice can be difficult."

According to Ministry statistics, 219 government schools will be operational as the academic year begins. A total of 80,715 students are enrolled this year, supported by 9,952 teachers.

Figures released by the Ministry of Education last week show that 4,790 students have applied for Grade 1 in government schools, consisting of 3,042 students from the atolls and 1,748 from the Malé area.

Migration patterns continue, with 1,530 students transferring from the atolls to Malé this year, while 836 students have requested transfers from Malé to schools in Hulhumalé.

As classes resume tomorrow, this marks the first time the annual long holiday has been observed in December since the schedule was shifted.

The academic calendar was originally altered in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu reverted the long break to December following requests from parents.