Minister of Education Dr Aishath Shiham has said that the government’s aim is to establish an education system that does not exclude any child, through which children gain the skills required to live in a civilised society.

She said this while speaking at a function held at Sultan Park to mark the official inauguration of the ministry’s 100-day road map.

“The government’s as well as the citizens’ aim should be to have an education system that does not exclude any child. What we want is the assurance that our children will gain the skills and attributes required to live in a civilised society, where people are helpful,” said Dr Aishath Shiham.

The government’s education policy includes 23 points, out of which four were inaugurated today.

From the ministry’s 100-day action plan, projects to be implemented immediately include providing salary as allowance for education sector experts who wish to leave their jobs to pursue further studies, making Quran a compulsory subject in grades 1 to 7 in all schools across the country starting this academic year, introducing civil education, and facilitating the opportunity for students to enrol in courses offered by polytechnics.

The 19 points included in the 100-day action plan include providing enough Quran teachers before the start of the new academic year, establishing units for special needs children in five schools in the country, establishing two specialised units for special needs children in two regions across the country, introducing sociology in secondary schools, starting Dhivehi language, nationalism and culture programs, and introducing life skills programs.

It is also part of the action plan to start a campaign to facilitate opportunities to students in terms of training and employment, to provide employment through polytechnics, to establish polytechnics campuses in three regions in the country, to expand apprenticeship, to start Arabic language programs and other foreign language programs, to facilitate higher education opportunities abroad for students who pass three subjects in A’level exams, to compile and passa child protection policy, to provide health assistant services at all schools, and to create links with foreign groups that provide finance-related courses.