Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu has emphasized the urgent need for four additional schools to address the rapid population growth in Hulhumalé over the past few years.
During an interview with 'Mihaaru News' last Tuesday, the Minister noted that the Ministry had previously monitored changes in school space in the Greater Malé Region. He said that proactive steps were previously taken, and schools were established in Hulhumalé to accommodate the growing population.
Dr. Shafeeu, however, said that there was a policy gap within the Education Ministry, as it failed to account for the substantial increase in the population of Hulhumalé during this period.
"I believe that with careful consideration at the policy level, we can observe that POLCO housing units are nearly complete, SIFCO Hiyaa housing units are also near completion, Hiyaa flats have been finished, and Vinares flats have been completed and are in the process of being allocated. Otherwise, we will be able to construct a sufficient number of schools. It is a challenge," the Minister said.
"I believe that four schools are necessary to accommodate students in the recently constructed four buildings in Hulhumalé for an immediate solution."
The Minister said that all three schools that opened in Hulhumalé had initially started teaching in a single session. These include Rehendhi School and Huravee School, built during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen, and Salahuddin School, constructed by the previous government.
Among these schools, only Salahuddin School currently operates in a single session. Due to space constraints, Huravee and Rehendhi schools have been converted into two sessions.
The Minister said that four schools were insufficient. However, having four schools similar to Salahuddin, which can accommodate about 1,200 students each, would be able to serve students in Hulhumalé without placing an excessive burden on other school spaces, he said.
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