Current eighth graders to be enrolled for O’ Level exams next year

Education Ministry has decided to enroll current eighth graders for O’ Level examination next year.

Education Ministry’s Spokesperson told Sun that current eighth graders will be taught the O’ Level syllabus starting the second term of the current academic year, and thereby, will be enrolled for O’ Level examination in next year’s November.

The Spokesperson added that the current ninth graders will sit for their O’ Level examination in next year’s May-June, as planned.

The government has begun making changes to the academic plans of schools following its decision to shift the commencement of the academic new year to January starting 2026. In this trajectory, as per the academic calendar for this year, the second term which commenced last week’s Sunday will conclude on April 30^th. The new academic year will then begin on May 26^th.

On the initial academic calendar 2023/2024 publicized by the Education Ministry – the second term was set to conclude on June 13rd, with the academic new year set to commence on July 31^st.

Despite these changes, Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu says no changes will be made to the studies of current ninth and tenth graders.

Shifting the commencement of the academic new year to back January is an electoral pledge of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. While some support the shift, others do not.

The former administration shifted the commencement of the academic new year to mid-year in light of the fact that December accounted for tourism peak season due to which tourism sector workers are unable to spend the holidays with their children.

Former Education Minister Dr. Aishath Ali said the change was made after research. However, with the enforcement of the change, it was highly critiqued as June and July, which would be the long holidays, are months where monsoon rain is experienced obstructing travel.