Minister of Education Dr. Aishath Ali has revealed that the administration has completed 48 projects in the past four years for schools to facilitate single-session classes. She made the remark while responding to questions at the Parliament of the Maldives.
At the sitting, Minister Aishath said that the most important work the administration began in its first 100 days in the education sector was to determine the scope of the initiative to facilitate single-session classes. She noted that 48 of the 248 budgeted projects were completed in the past four years while 114 projects are ongoing, with the remaining projects to be contracted soon.
The projects include the development of 1,780 classrooms, 95 multipurpose halls, and a further 596 buildings including laboratories, libraries, bathrooms, and offices. A total of 156 of the 217 government-run schools are currently holding single-session classes. The administration has spent USD85 million on the education sector in the past four years and is currently working to facilitate single-session classes in all schools.
Additionally, Minister Aishath said that the development of the new Arabiyya School building will begin on April 10. She said that the concept design stage has been completed and that the new school is scheduled to be open for next year’s academic year.
Arabiyya School was temporarily relocated after the authorities decided that the building was not safe for use. The new Arabiyya School building is being constructed on the land plot that housed the former Jamaluddin School.