New Vocational High School to open in Malé City

A new high school dedicated to vocational training is set to open in Malé City.

The Education Ministry announced yesterday that applications for the "Vocational High School" can be submitted until next Friday. Students who are selected will be notified starting Tuesday.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must have completed Grade 10 either last year or in the current academic year, and must be under 18 years of age as of December 31 last year.

Applications can be submitted via Google Forms or through the Ministry’s official website.

According to the Ministry, students who complete the programs will receive a Level 4 national certificate. They will also have the opportunity to pursue higher education in the field related to their certificate.

This year’s intake will include training in the following 10 areas:

Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu encouraged students to take full advantage of the new vocational school in a Facebook post yesterday. He said students completing the vocational path will have the option to pursue diploma or degree programs at universities or enter the job market.

“There is no less opportunity than the academic pathway. Work hard and take advantage of this opportunity to prepare for life,” he urged.

Dr. Shafeeu added that efforts to increase the number of students completing Grade 10 and moving on to upper secondary education have shown positive results. He noted that recent changes in admission criteria for A-Level have led to an increase in students joining upper secondary schools.

In 2023, about 2,100 out of 6,700 Grade 10 students, 31 percent, enrolled in A-Level. This year, that number has increased to 3,200 out of 6,500 students, 49 percent, marking an 18 percent increase in Grade 10 students advancing to higher secondary education compared to last year.

Although the vocational program will be offered through a dedicated school, the exact location of the facility has not yet been announced.