The Ministry of Education has assured that all schools will have enough teachers and books for all students by the start of the new academic year slated to begin on 6 April.
Speaking on PSM News' ‘Raajje Miadhu’ programme, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education Shifaz Mohamed said schools across the Maldives had enough teachers at the end of the last academic year.
He pointed out that some foreign teachers do not return after the school holidays which remains one of the biggest challenges that the Ministry faces every year. However, Shifaz said the Ministry is prepared to recruit new teachers to replace those who have not returned, adding that similar arrangements will be made before the start of this academic year.
"Our workforce had enough teachers by the end of this year and hopefully by the start of the 2025 academic year, we can meet the requirement before schools reopen,” he explained.
There are currently more than 12,000 teachers working in the education sector out of which more than 2,000 are foreign teachers. Shifaz said the Ministry has always prioritised the recruitment of local teachers alluding to the special efforts to achieve that target.
Ali Mufeed, who is in charge of school administration said that books are being distributed to all schools across the country. He admitted that there was a slight delay in handing over the books for grades 4 and 5 due to the change in the curriculum of the two grades. However, the books are now being sent to schools and all students will receive them by the start of the new academic year, he added.
"We are very confident that all children will be supplied with books by the start of school. We would like to reassure parents and students of that on behalf of the Ministry of Education,” Mufeed said.
Recent administrative revisions to the academic calendar set the new academic year to commence on 6 April. According to the Ministry of Education's calendar, the first-term holiday is scheduled to begin on 24 July, followed by the start of the second term on 10 August. The academic year will then conclude on 28 December.
Traditionally, the academic year commenced in January. However, changes prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic led to school closures and subsequent schedule adjustments. By 2021, the administration had moved the start of the academic year to August, leading to school holidays in June and July. These months typically bring rains due to the southwest monsoon, complicating travel to the islands and creating challenges for students, parents, and guardians during the holidays.
During the 2023 presidential campaign, concerns about the timing of school holidays were brought to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's attention. In response, President Dr Muizzu announced a return to the traditional January start date for the academic year, ensuring that school holidays would once again fall in December.
Consequently, the academic year is now scheduled to begin in January 2026. The upcoming school holidays will extend from 28 December 2025 to 27 January 2026, aligning with the December holiday period as previously practised.