Vice President Faisal Naseem has stated that of all the different industries and professions conversely affected due to COVID-19, education proved to have been one of the most resilient.
The vice president made the statement while speaking to the students of Kalaafaanu School at the special assembly held at the school on August 10 to commemorate the start of a new academic year. He praised the uncompromising efforts of teachers and educators to carry on with educating students online by creating lessons that are interesting and engaging.
In his statement, the vice president noted that as the new academic year begins, the Maldives and the world continue to face challenges on an unforeseen scale due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He implored all students to appreciate the efforts by their teachers and to make the most of the opportunity to return to school premises by putting their schooling at the forefront. Remarking that the largest share of this administration’s budget is always earmarked for education, he reiterated the president’s statement from earlier in the day that the government is working on revising the remuneration structure for the education sector and allotting salary increments for educators in next year’s budget.
Speaking further, Vice President Faisal Naseem encouraged schools and educational institutions to prioritise inclusive education so as to ensure that every child has equal access to schooling without any bias or discrimination. He stated that it is the duty of teachers and parents to ensure that their children are ready to become working, productive members of society as they finish their education. He further asserted that the whole society is also duty-bound to ensure that our children have impartial, equal access to the resources they need to become diligent citizens. He called on the public to ensure they fulfil their duties to the younger generations.
Ending his statement, the vice president reminded the public, once again, to abide by the control measures and guidelines to stay safe from COVID-19 and to strictly follow the guidelines put in place by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). He also prayed to Almighty Allah that all the students be blessed with a fruitful and enjoyable new academic year.
The vice president also officiated an elevator in the school, specialised for disabled students, as part of inclusive education, in order to better facilitate easy access for all students.
There are 92,936 students enrolled in private and publics schools for this academic year.