A brand new consultation forum has been held to gather opinions from many parties in order to develop the school activity calendar for the academic year. The Ministry of Education held this forum on January 18 and 19 this year at Imaduddin School, before the school holidays began.
The forum was officially opened by the Minister of Education, Dr. Ismail Shafeeu. In opening the forum, the Minister said that the main purpose of this forum is to develop a school activity calendar in a sustainable manner that is not overly burdensome for teachers, parents, and especially students.
“I want to propose three or four things for your discussion. That it should be conducive to student learning. That it should consider the wellbeing of teachers and students. That when the parent community participates, the participation should be to an extent that is not painful for them. And that the geographical dispersion of the Maldives should be considered,” the Minister said.
This forum was attended by principals of some schools, sports associations, as well as the Islamic Ministry, Ministry of Cities, Dhivehi Language Academy, Quran Center, and Cadet Corps, Scout Association, and Girl Guide Association. Additionally, they have requested that when schools conduct additional activities, things should be arranged in a way that does not hinder students’ studies. The Minister has also appealed to all participants of the consultation meeting to give the highest priority to students in every decision made regarding them.
As this forum is the first to be held for wide-ranging consultation in developing the school activity calendar, there are high hopes for this from those in the education sector. As a result of this forum, the Education Ministry has said that the school activity calendar for the upcoming academic year will be developed incorporating the opinions and consultations of many parties, in a way that is most beneficial for students and teachers.
