EDUCATION IN THE MALDIVES
Education in government-run schools is free in the Maldives but not compulsory. Maldives has three types of schools: Quranic schools, Dhivehi-language primary schools, and English-language primary and secondary schools. Schools in the last category are the only ones equipped to teach the standard curriculum. Western-style education based on the British Commonwealth curriculum can be found only in Malé only. For the most part, students seeking higher education must go abroad to a university. Most teachers are experienced Maldivian and Sri Lankan nationals. The medium of instruction is both Divehi and English. [Source: “Cities of the World”, The Gale Group Inc., 2002; Helen Chapin Metz, Library of Congress, 1994]
The geographical characteristics of this island nation require the dispersion of educational facilities across inhabited atolls and islands After the Maldives became independent in 1965, the government prioritized eradicating illiteracy, providing universal primary education,, expanding access to secondary education and improving the quality and career-based applicability of education. [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
Leena Banerjee wrote in the “World Education Encyclopedia”: “Education is a priority in the Maldives because it is seen as vital to the nation's participation in the international forum in this age of globalization. A key issue in educational planning and development in the Maldives is achieving a balance between the preservation of indigenous knowledge and local roots and scientific, technological knowledge and global perspective.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Maldives continued to have a high population growth rate (2.8 percent) and almost half the population was under the age of 15. This created pressures on the education system. Banerjee wrote: Double and in some cases triple shift schooling, maintaining large student-teacher ratios, hiring part-time staff, administering schools in clusters, inviting private sector partnerships and parent/community contributions (where possible) are some of the measures that are being used to deal with the situation. [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
The population growth rate and the number of Maldivians under 15 have been declining in recent years and there is not as much pressure on the education system as there was in the past.
History of Education in the Maldives
Traditionally children aged three and up in the Maldives were educated in traditional schools known as "edhurge", generally using a single large room or the shelter of tree. The first western-style school in the Maldives, the Majeediyya School, a secondary, was established in 1927. The school was originally co-educational, but it was deemed necessary to create a second school for girls (Aminiyya School) in 1944. Until 1976, all 16 existing schools were located in Malé; most were primary schools. In the 1990s only about 65 percent of school-age children were enrolled. [Source: Wikipedia]
Leena Banerjee wrote in the “World Education Encyclopedia”: “In Maldives, education has had a long history starting with the traditional, home-based teaching of Dhivehi, the Arabic script, and the Holy Quran in home-based centers known as the edhuruge or kiyavaage. Since the early part of the twentieth century, government schools for boys and later for girls were created in Male and by mid-century in each inhabited atoll. These schools, called maktabs maintained the traditional curriculum along with mathematics. In the 1960s the introduction of English medium schools by the government had the effect of relegating traditional education to a second-class status. [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
Since 1978, the government has pursued a unified education policy by establishing two government schools, Atoll Education Centers and an Atoll School in each atoll and a policy of equitable distribution of facilities and funds to them. These schools are also unified by a common curriculum for grades 1 to 7, in keeping with the national priority of providing universal basic education (defined as grades 1 to 7). The curriculum covers Dhivehi, mathematics, environmental studies, Islam, English, fine arts, physical education, handwriting, and study of the Quran. The school year runs from February through December and the net enrollment ratio in basic education is reported to be 95 percent. Literacy figures are reported to be over 98 percent and gender parity for basic education at 49 percent for females and 51 percent for males.
Problems with Education in the Maldives
AFP reported: Literacy rates in this Indian Ocean archipelago exceed 90 percent, with nearly all children receiving some form of primary education, but the quality of teaching remains low, partly due to the low skills of the teachers themselves. The UN Children's Fund UNICEF estimates that more than 30 percent of Maldivian teachers are untrained with many islands having up to 100 pupils per trained primary teacher. "It's down to basics. Transport is costly making it expensive for children to travel between islands to get a better education and for teachers to upgrade their skills," said UNICEF representative for the Maldives, Ken Maskall. [Source: AFP, August 18, 2007]
“Basic services are expensive, given the geographic nature of this nation of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 850 kilometers (550 miles) across the equator. UNICEF estimates that islands with the lowest population still do not have access to secondary school and around 12 islands provide schooling only up to grade five.
According to UNICEF: “When UNICEF first arrived” in the 1970s “in the Maldives, only 15 percent of children were enrolled in primary school. Today, that number has skyrocketed to over 96 percent, according to the Ministry of Education. Education is now seen as a human right – and because of this, the government provides free schooling for every child up to grade 12. Virtually all adolescents are literate in the Dhivehi language, and over 90 percent are literate in English. Such improvements cannot be understated, as they have sparked opportunities for countless children, adolescents and young people in the Maldives. [Source: UNICEF]
“Even so, some children continue to fall through the cracks of the education system. The quality of education is a concern throughout the Maldives, and many adolescents lack access to higher secondary education. Though only 1.6 percent of children at the lower secondary level are not studying, only 45 percent of those children end up transitioning to the higher secondary level, according to the Ministry of Education. Higher secondary courses only exist in 59 out of 212 schools in the Maldives, making it impossible for some adolescents to continue their education unless they migrate to another island.”
Education Expenditures and Administration in the Maldives
Education expenditures: 4.1 percent of GDP (2016); (compared to 3.2 percent in Japan, 3.8 percent in India and 5.0 percent in the United States). Compared with other countries in the world, the Maldives ranks 93rd out of 170 countries. In 2003, public expenditures on education were estimated at 3.7 percent of GDP, or 11.2 percent of total government expenditures. The government expenditure for education was 18 percent of the budget in 2002. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020; “Countries of the World and Their Leaders” Yearbook 2006, Thomson Gale]
In 1992 approximately 20 percent of government revenues went to finance education, a significant increase over the 1982 expenditure of 8.5 percent. Part of the reason for this large expenditure results from recent increases in the construction of modern school facilities on many of the islands. In the late 1970s, faced with a great disparity between the quality of schooling offered in the islands and in Male, the government undertook an ambitious project to build one modern primary school in each of the nineteen administrative atolls. The government in Male directly controls the administration of these primary schools. Literacy is reportedly high; the claimed 1991 adult literacy rate of 98.2 percent would make Maldives the highest in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. [Source: Helen Chapin Metz, Library of Congress, 1994 *]
Leena Banerjee wrote in the “World Education Encyclopedia”: “Government schools cover 51 percent of all available schools in the Maldives whereas increasing efforts at partnership result in the community (40 percent) and the private sector (9 percent) carrying the rest. Education has been a steadily rising cost to the public and is well over 15 percent of the total budgetary expenditure. Limited resources have restricted large-scale investment in educational technologies that would allow the use of the Internet and the development of distance-learning on a large scale. At the same time discussion on curriculum reform at the secondary school level to provide students with computer literacy and the possibility of technologically oriented careers is ongoing. [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
Education Statistics for the Maldives
Gross enrollment: Primary school; 117 percent in 2005; 98 percent in 2019; secondary school: 81.3 percent in 2011.
Out of school children, primary age (2019): male: 835; female: 174; total: 1,009.
Gender parity index from gross enrollment ratio, primary: 1
Adult literacy rate: male: 97 percent; female: 98 percent; total: 98 percent.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government spending: 11.3 percent.
Expenditure on primary education as a percentage of total government spending: 4.1 percent
World Bank datatopics.worldbank.org]
Early Childhood
Attendance in early childhood education: 78 percent
Early stimulation and responsive care (any adult household member); 96 percent
Early stimulation and responsive care (father): 25 percent
Learning materials at home — children's books: 59 percent
Learning materials at home — playthings: 48 percent
Children left in inadequate supervision: 12 percent
[Source: UNICEF DATA data.unicef.org]
Education
Adjusted net attendance rate, one year before official primary entry age: 98 percent
Adjusted net attendance rate, primary education: 95 percent
Adjusted net attendance rate, lower secondary education: 84 percent
Adjusted net attendance rate, upper secondary education: 35 percent
[Source: UNICEF DATA data.unicef.org]
In the late 2000s attendance in primary school (grades 1-5) was 99 percent; in early secondary school (grades 6-10): 51 percent; and late secondary school:(grades 11-12): 5 percent..[Source: “Countries of the World and Their Leaders” Yearbook 2009, Gale]
Literacy and Libraries in the Maldives
Literacy (age 15 and over can read and write): total population: 97.7 percent; male: 97.3 percent; female: 98.1 percent (2016) (Compared to 34 percent for females and 64 percent for males in India; and 99 percent for male and females in Russia, the United States, Japan and much of Europe). [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020]
The adult literacy rate was 98 percent 2009; 96.3 percent for both men and women in 2004 and 93.2 percent in 2000. The 2004 rate compares to 65 percent in low-income countries; more than 95 percent in high-income countries; and 99 percent in the United States [Source: “Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007]
According to the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations”: A National Library, founded in 1945, is the only nationally funded public library in the country; it contains over 35,000 volumes. Most primary and secondary schools have small libraries; these facilities suffered major damage during the 2004 tsunami and reconstruction and restocking was underway in 2005. There are a few private libraries in the country, including two health libraries: one at the Institute of Health and another at the main hospital in the country. The Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry of Finance have small libraries as well. A National Museum was founded in 1952 in Malé to conserve and display historical items. [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007]
Education for Women in the Maldives
The Maldives provides equal education for girls and boys. In spite of traditional Islamic restrictions on female, girls for the most part have access to school that is equal to that of boys. In the past female children were more likely to drop out of school than boys. Today, the reverse is true. [Source: “Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007]
Enrollment in secondary school: 64 percent for men and 74.6 percent for women in 2004.
[Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division, genderstats.un.org ]
Female university students by country (percent of gross, which mans the value can be over 100 percent): 60 percent (2019, compared to 68 percent in Germany, 102 percent in the United States and 7 percent in Uzbekistan) [Source: World Bank worldbank.org]
Education System in the Maldives
According to “Countries of the World and Their Leaders”: “The government expenditure for education was 20 percent of the budget in 2004. Both formal and nonformal education have made remarkable strides in the last decade. Unique to Maldives, modern and traditional schools exist side by side. The traditional schools are staffed by community-paid teachers without formal training and provide basic numeracy and literacy skills in addition to religious instruction. [Source: “Countries of the World and Their Leaders” Yearbook 2009, Gale]
“The modern schools, run by both the government and private sector, provide primary and secondary education. As the modern English-medium school system expands, the traditional system is gradually being upgraded. By early 2003, every inhabited island was equipped to provide primary school education up through grade seven. Secondary schools (grades 8 through 10) are available in atoll capitals and on the islands with larger populations. Five schools have higher secondary classes, two in Capital Male and in three atolls. Only around 5 percent of students go to high school, but literacy is high at 98 percent. Seven post-secondary technical training institutes provide opportunities for youth to gain skills that are in demand.
The World Bank provided $17 million for education development from 2000-2004. It plans to commit a further $1.5 million for education development, as well as $9 million for an education-related component under an integrated human development project. Over 2000-2006, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) committed $7 million to support post-secondary education development in Maldives. ADB has committed $6.5 million for employment skills training over 2004-2009.
Schooling in the Maldives
Education in government-run schools is free in the Maldives but not compulsory. Maldives has three types of schools: Quranic schools, Dhivehi-language primary schools, and English-language primary and secondary schools. Schools in the last category are the only ones equipped to teach the standard curriculum. Western-style education based on the British Commonwealth curriculum can be found only in Malé only. For the most part, students seeking higher education must go abroad to a university. Most teachers are experienced Maldivian and Sri Lankan nationals. The medium of instruction is both Divehi and English. [Source: “Cities of the World”, The Gale Group Inc., 2002; Helen Chapin Metz, Library of Congress, 1994]
Primary level education is for five years (seven years if you include two years middle school for grades 6 and 7) and secondary education is in two stages: five years at the lower level (two years of middle school and two years of lower secondary school) and two years at the higher level. Education is not compulsory. There are three streams of Maldivian education: 1) traditional religious schools (makhtabs); 2) modern Divehi-language primary schools; and 3) modern English-language schools. [Source: “Countries and Their Cultures”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
Unique to Maldives, modern and traditional schools exist side by side. The traditional schools are staffed by community-paid teachers without formal training and provide basic numeracy and literacy skills in addition to religious instruction. In 1998 there were 48,895 students enrolled in 228 primary schools, with 1,992 teachers. In 1992 Maldives had a total of 73,642 pupils in school: 32,475 in government schools and 41,167 in private schools. As of 2003, about 92 percent of primary-school-age children were enrolled in school, while only 51 percent of those eligible attended secondary school. [Source: “Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007; “Countries of the World and Their Leaders” Yearbook 2009, Gale; Helen Chapin Metz, Library of Congress, 1994]
A) Primary school from grades one to five for children age 6 to 10; B) middle school of grades 6 and 7 for children 11 and 12; C) lower secondary school for grades 9 and 10 for youths ages 13 to 15; D) and higher secondary school of pre-university education in grades 11 and 12 for youths 16 to 18.
Schools Types and System in the Maldives
The Maldives have four education systems: 1) Kiyavaage (home study in arithmetic, the Divehi language and the Quran); 2) Makthab (study at a mosque or another building in arithmetic, the Divehi language, Islam and the Quran); 3) Madhurasaa (study at a mosque or another building in arithmetic, the Divehi language, Islam, the Quran and additional subjects); and 4) government schools, with most emphasize Divehi as the language of instruction, but some also using a fair degree of English or a handful having English as the primary language of instruction. Arabic is also often taught
The education system on the outer atolls is more rudimentary. primary schools are based on the Madhurasaa system. Atoll education centers have been set up on the main islands in each atoll for basic primary education. Parents of children on the other islands can send their children to the main island for school. Some atolls have hostel systems for children from far away islands. Efforts are also being made to set up secondary schools on the atolls. Distance educational courses and educational programs on the radio and the internet are also provided.
At modern English-language schools, primary and secondary schooling is based on the British educational system. Under the English system, students who finish the tenth grade take O level exams; and at the end of the 12th grade they take for A level exams. [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007]
Islamic Schools in the Maldives
Traditionally, education was the responsibility of religious leaders and institutions. Most learning centered on individual tutorials in religious teachings. In 1924 the first formal schools opened in Male. These schools were call edhuruge, and served as Quranic schools. Edhuruge were only established on two other islands at this time. The basic primary school on the islands in the 1990s is the makthab, dating from the 1940s. Primary schools of a slightly larger scale in terms of curriculum, enrollment, and number of teachers, are called madhrasaa. [Source: Helen Chapin Metz, Library of Congress, 1994 *]
During the 1940s, a widespread government campaign was organized to bring formal schooling to as many of the inhabited islands as possible. Enthusiastically supported by the islanders, who contributed a daily allotment of the fish catch to support the schools, many one-room structures of coral and lime with thatched roofs were constructed. The makthab assumed the functions of the traditional edhuruge while also providing a basic curriculum in reading, writing, and arithmetic. But with the death of reformist president Didi and the restoration of the sultanate in the early 1950s, official interest in the development of education in the atolls waned.*
As of the early 1990s, education for the majority of Maldivian children continues to be provided by the makthab. In 1989 there were 211 community and private schools, and only fifty government schools. The results of a UN study of school enrollment in 1983 showed that the total number in the new government primary schools on the atolls was only 7,916, compared with 23,449 in private schools. In Male the number of students attending government schools was 5,892, with 5,341 in private schools. Throughout the 1980s, enrollment continued to rise as more government-sponsored schools were constructed in the atolls. In 1992 the first secondary school outside Male opened on Addu Atoll.*
School Life in the Maldives
In the Maldives, the school week is from Sunday to Thursday. The school years lasts from January to December. In 2020, the first day of school was on January 12. There were term holidays from March 8 to March 12; from May 24 to June 11; from July 26 to August 6; and from December 6 to January 7. Typically the two main breaks coincide with Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, and holidays of Id al-Fitr (at the end of Ramadan) and Id al-Adha. The dates for Muslim holidays are variable and are set according to the Muslim calendar. [Source: publicholidays.asia]
Secondary schools are often segregated by sex. Parents who are serious about their children's education send their children to Malé for schooling, especially for secondary school. There are several private and Islamic schools in the Maldives.
Some islands have traditionally had little schooling Mothers teach their children to read and rte with little slate board and chalk. Islamic teaching is don by schools attracted t local mosques. Children learn to intone Arabic letters in order to “read” the Koran without understanding it.
Grades: Grade — Scale — Grade Description — US Grade
HD — 85.00 - 100.00 — High Distinction — A
DN — 75.00 - 84.00 — Distinction — A-
CR — 65.00 - 74.00 — Credit — B
PP — 50.00 - 64.00 — Pass — C
FF — 0.00 - 49.00 — Fail — F [Source: scholaro.com]
Curriculum, School Languages and Teachers in Maldives
The languages of instruction in school are Divehi (Maldivian) and, English. English is taught as a second language from grade one in many schools. The primary and secondary curriculum includes study of the Koran and Islam and to do this properly students need to know Arabic. The traditional curriculum, which dates back to the time most children studied in a important or under a coconut tree has been simple arithmetic, Dhivehi and some Arabic, and reciting the Qur'an.
Throughout the 1960s, attention to education focused mainly on the two government schools in Male. In 1960 the medium of instruction changed from Dhivehi to English, and the curriculum was reorganized according to the imported London General Certificate of Education. In the early 1990s, secondary education was available only in Malés English-medium schools, which had also preschool and primary-level offerings. Dhivehi-medium schools existed, but most were located in Male. These schools were private and charged a fee. [Source: Helen Chapin Metz, Library of Congress, 1994]
Today, the Maldives is more multicultural. Dhivehi is the official language but Arabic, Hindi, and English are also spoken and taught to varying degrees in school. Traditional Divehi-based instruction has been based on the teachings of the Quran. Modern English-influenced education showed up later and now aim to reach international standards. are both offered. [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
The student-to-teacher ratio for primary school was about 20:1 in 2003; the ratio for secondary school was about 15:1. By comparison the numbers of pupils per teacher in primary school are 43 in low-income countries; 16 in high-income countries; and 15 in the United States [Source: “Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007]
Leena Banerjee wrote in “World Education Encyclopedia”: “The need for competent teachers who can provide relevant education besides the need for trained teachers in general continues to be acute as evidenced by the fact that in 1999, only 63 percent of primary school teachers were formally trained. Furthermore, trained local teachers are particularly needed to reduce the costs of hiring expatriate teachers and paying for teacher training abroad. In 2001 there were approximately 1,814 female and 1,086 male teachers serving the nation. [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
Primary and Pre-Primary Schools in the Maldives
By early 2003, every inhabited island was equipped to provide primary school education up through grade seven. The Adjusted net attendance rate for primary education in the 2010s was: 95 percent. Primary school enrollment in 2003 was estimated at about 92 percent of age-eligible students. .The student-to-teacher ratio for primary school was about 20:1 [Source: UNICEF DATA data.unicef.org ; “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007]
There are two parallel education systems exist in primary school. The older, traditionally Islamic one, highlights the Koran and Islamic teaching and the language of instruction is Dhivehi, with students learning Arabic. Over the years, the government has introduced more English-language schools. Primary school is from grades one to five for children age 6 to 10. Sometimes middle school — grades 6 and 7 — is considered part of primary school.
Leena Banerjee wrote in the “World Education Encyclopedia”: Preschool education is provided in a two-year cycle in Male and is gradually becoming available in the other atolls as well, reaching more than half of all preschool aged children. Primary prevention initiatives such as "First Steps," a UNICEF funded program, was being launched in 2001 to increase public awareness of early childhood development and early intervention and to promote knowledge-based child-rearing practices from the early years. Primary education is provided at the Atoll Schools and Atoll Education Centers. [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
Secondary Education in the Maldives
Secondary education is is available in atoll capitals and on the islands with larger populations. As of the late 2000s, five schools had higher secondary classes, two in Capital Male and in three atolls. At that time only around 5 percent of students went to high school [Source: “Countries of the World and Their Leaders” Yearbook 2009, Gale]
The adjusted net attendance rate for lower secondary education is 84 percent. The adjusted net attendance rate for upper secondary education is 35 percent. Secondary school enrollment in 2003 was estimated at about 51 percent of age-eligible students. The student-to-teacher ratio for secondary school was about 15:1. In 1998, secondary schools had a total of 36,905 students.[Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007; UNICEF DATA data.unicef.org]
Secondary school consist of: A) middle school of grades 6 and 7 for children 11 and 12; B) lower secondary school for grades 9 and 10 for youths ages 13 to 15; and C) higher secondary school of pre-university education in grades 11 and 12 for youths 16 to 18.
Leena Banerjee wrote in the “World Education Encyclopedia”: Access to middle school for children in more remote areas continues to need attention. Lower secondary education, once available only in Male, is being extended through the expansion of existing schools and the creation of two regional secondary schools, one in the north and one in the south. Upper secondary education is limited to the Science Education Center and the Institute of Islamic Studies. At the tenth grade students sit for the O levels Examination (GCE, London) and at the twelfth grade they sit for the A level examination (GCE, London). [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
Outer Island Education in the Maldives
The education system on outer atoll is more rudimentary. Many primary schools are based on the Madhurasaa system. Atoll education centers have been set up on the main island in each atoll for basic primary education. Parents of children on the other islands can send their children to the main island for school. Some atolls have hostel systems for children from far away islands. Efforts are also being made to set up secondary schools on the atolls. Distance educational courses and educational programs on the radio and the internet are also provided.
Clarence Maloney and Nils Finn Munch-Petersen wrote in the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: “On most islands there is little that is new to explore, no new personalities, and no real schooling. Mothers teach children to read and write Divehi, using chalk on little slate boards, for Islamic teaching, and many islands have Little schools attached to the mosques, so almost all Divehis become literate. Many children learn to intone Arabic letters in order to "read" the Quran, although without any understanding. [Source:Clarence Maloney and Nils Finn Munch-Petersen, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Paul Hockings, 1992 |~|]
Broadband Impacts on Education on Remote Maldives Atolls
In 2007, not long after broadband Internet was introduced to bring education to the Maldives remote atolls, AFP reported: “The standard of education was falling in the Maldives before broadband Internet access brought a quiet online revolution to classrooms in the Indian Ocean atoll nation. Now Asina Ahmed hooks up to the Internet and uses a smart board with a touch-sensitive screen to liven up a maths class for a group of young Maldivian children on remote Rashdoo Island. Ahmed invites eight-year-old Aishath Zayba Ismail to count the number of cherries in a fruit basket. Ismail approaches the board, places her hand over the images and glides each cherry across the white board. With a special pen she scribbles "four cherries" on the screen.[Source: AFP, August 18, 2007]
“Before the smart board arrived, there was no interactive learning in Rashdoo Island, 37 miles (60 kilometers) west of the capital island Male. Broadband connectivity across the atolls has enabled interactive learning methods like the smart board to take off, putting the fun back into classrooms and encouraging children's communications skills. "The smart board has made me a child-friendly teacher. The lessons are e-mailed each day and I can use the Internet to show children little things like how a cherry tree farm looks like, unlike a photograph in a text book," Ahmed said.
UNICEF has spent more than two million US dollars to set up broadband-enabled learning centres which will link 20 atolls in the Maldives by the end of this year. Rashdoo, one of the Maldives' 200 inhabited islands, is among the 11 islands to be connected so far. "The smart board has brought the world to children's feet," said Rashdoo Island chief Mohamed Shafi, a former teacher himself. "I can sense the frustration of learning is quietly reducing." "People are so scattered in different little islands that this type of teaching method helps schools and communities to develop," UNICEF representative for the Maldives, Ken Maskall told AFP.
Vocational Schools and Informal Education in the Maldives
There is a special hotel and tourism school in the Maldives. The Science Education Center in Malé provides pre-university education. Students who want to got a university have to attend a university abroad. Training programs for youth include air-conditioner repair, welding, sheet metal work, basic electronic, diesel and petrol engine repair, boat building, furniture, carpentry, handicrafts, jewelry, stone carving. In the nonformal sector the government offers a Condensed Education Program called "Second Chance" to those youth and adults who have not had the opportunity to complete primary and secondary education. Short courses in areas such as early childhood care and development and languages are also provided.
In 1975 the government, with international assistance, started vocational training at the Vocational Training Center in Male. The training covered electricity, engine repair and maintenance, machinery, welding, and refrigeration. Trainees were chosen from among fourth- and fifth-grade students. In the atolls, the Rural Youth Vocational Training Program provided training designed to meet local needs in engine repair and maintenance, tailoring, carpentry, and boat building. On the island of Mafuri on Male Atoll, a large juvenile reformatory also offered vocational training. Established by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1979, the reformatory provided training courses in electrical and mechanical engineering, carpentry, welding, and tailoring, as well as a limited primary school academic curriculum. [Source: Helen Chapin Metz, Library of Congress, 1994 *]
International organizations enabled the creation of the Science Education Center in 1979 and an Arabic Islamic Education Center opened in 1989. Japanese aid enabled the founding of the Maldives Center for Social Education in 1991. In the latter half of 1993 work began on the Maldives Institute of Technical Education to help eliminate the shortage of skilled labor.*
Higher Education in the Maldives
Maldivians have traditionally had to go abroad for higher education. Many have gone to Egypt. In the late 2000, seven post-secondary technical training institutes provided training for youth to gain skills valued in the Maldives. The only higher education facility available in the mid 2000s was a teacher-training institute. [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007; “Countries of the World and Their Leaders” Yearbook 2009, Gale]
The National University Act, passed in January 2011, established the first university in the Maldives. Institutions offering higher education in the Maldives are: 1) Maldives National University, which was previously known as the Maldives College of Higher Education (it offered 95 percent of the post-secondary education in the Maldives); 2) Cyryx College; 3) Mandhu College, which provides tertiary education to lower and higher secondary school leavers; 4) . Villa College, which has offered degree courses in computing and IT since 2007; 5) MAPS College; 6) Ixcel Centre for Professional Studies; 7) Avid College ; 8) Maldives Business School
In the 1990s, the government began making large investments in secondary, vocational, and postsecondary education. Currently the Science Education Center in Malé provides pre-university courses, and the center may evolve into a university. Leena Banerjee wrote in the “World Education Encyclopedia”: “In 1998 the first and only college in Maldives was established. It is called the Maldives College of Higher Education (MCHE) and it offers 28 certificate and seven diploma programs. The subject areas covered include teacher education, health sciences, hotel management, Shariah and Law, management and education, vocational training, and technical education, among others. MCHE has entered into collaborations with Indira Gandhi National Open University in India and Open University in Sri Lanka to offer distance learning programs as well. [Source: Leena Banerjee, “World Education Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
Female university students by country (percent of gross, which mans the value can be over 100 percent): 60 percent (2019, compared to 68 percent in Germany, 102 percent in the United States and 7 percent in Uzbekistan) [Source: World Bank worldbank.org]
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons
Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Republic of Maldives Department of Information, the government site (maldivesinfo.gov.mv), Ministry of Tourism Maldives (tourism.gov.mv), Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC, visitmaldives.com), The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Wikipedia and various books, websites and other publications.
Last updated February 2022