Activities unrelated to teaching cannot be allowed in schools: Education Ministry

Ministry of Education has said that it cannot allow activities unrelated to teaching to take place in schools.

The statement follows a call by the Teachers Association of Maldives (TAM) upon all teachers to dress in black on Sunday in protest of the poor benefits and resources suffered by persons working in the education sector.

Speaking at a press conference today, Education Ministry’s Director General Mohamed Saeed stressed that schools are places for learning, and not for protests.

“Must we accept that it is beneficial for a seven-year-old child to witness a protest? Will it not affect the child’s learning? We have to repeatedly stress that schools are centres for learning. We cannot allow anything (in schools) that are not related to education,” Saeed said.

Also speaking at the press conference, Education Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Abdul Muhsin denied reports that the Ministry has prohibited teachers to wear black to school on Sunday.

“We have informed the schools to tell teachers not to participate in an activity that has no basis,” Muhsin said.

He added that despite budgetary constraints, the government has been trying to facilitate better benefits for teachers. Schools are not appropriate stages for protests, Muhsin said.

“It is sad that we must talk about rights alone and leave out the responsibilities. Our teachers, who are entrusted with building our future, are of a better standard. They are the people who teach our children of rights and responsibilities,” Muhsin said.