Govt. to set A’ level as final grade in school education before end of term

Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu states the current administration plans to set A’ level as the final grade in school education in the Maldives before the end of the current presidential term.

The Minister made the remark while speaking during High Achievers Award ceremony held on Sunday night.

The government has also decided to conduct a program to increase the number of students enrolling for A’ level. In this regard, the Ministry has facilitated A’ level education at 23 schools in atolls at present.

Minister Shafeeu said setting A’ level as the final grade in school education would represent significant progress for the nation.

He attributed the decision to the government’s policy on ensuring no students are left behind.

“..it would represent significant progress for the nation when A’ level is set as a final grade in school education in the Maldives by the will of Almighty before the end of this five-year term. By the will of Almighty, we will achieve this under the guidance of the President,” he said.

Prior to this, Minister Shafeeu has stated that students enrolled in A’ level this year increased by 70 percent.

However, he expressed concern over the low pass rate among students sitting for A’ level exams compared to the expenses incurred by the government for the education sector. He stressed that the pass rate among students studying A’ level has dropped from 60 percent to 50 percent.

He added that the government, despite spending some MVR 4 billion on the education sector, was not witnessing the desired results.

Another major concern highlighted by the Minister was the high failure rate among students taking the O’ Level examinations. He noted that 54 percent of those who sit for the exam do not pass.

The pass rate among male students sitting for O’ Level examinations stands at just 44 percent, while the pass rate among female students stands at 56 percent.

Minister Shafeeu, citing the significant difference between the pass rate among male and female students poses obstrcutions, said efforts were underway to identify the reasons behind the low pass rate among male students. An assessment will be conducted for the purpose within this year, he added.