Some parliamentarians have said in today's sitting that the highest salary paid to a State employee in islands must be given to teachers. 

Several MPs advocated for raising teachers' salaries in today's debate on the bill of amendments to the Education Act, including establishing a homeschooling system, submitted by Huraa MP Anara Naeem.

Kuda Huvadhoo MP Hussain Hameed raised concerns about the decreasing interest in pursuing teacher training, and opined that this is attributed in part to the low salaries offered in the sector. 

He said that the State needs to pay special attention to rebuilding interest in the teaching profession, and should increase salaries and benefits for teachers. 

"Teachers must be made the profession which earns the highest in any island," Hameed stated, adding that teachers' pay must be higher than even that given to island councilors and judges. 

Kanditheemu MP Ameen Faisal also voiced concerns that 'there are no longer any students who wish to study in the teaching field today". He said that this owed to the failure to afford teachers the respect and love they deserve. 

"We are going into a national level crisis due to a shortage of teachers, why is this? Because of the obstinacy of political leaders. There is no need to point to any individual party in this," Ameen Faisal said. 

He continued, stating that teachers are the most apolitical professionals on any island and are akin to the 'second parents' that a child may have. 

Ameen Faisal said that the most key action that can be taken to strengthen the education system is to separate the Education Ministry from the government and make it an independent institution. 

Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa called to raise the salaries of education sector professionals, including teachers and principals, as much as Maldives' financial capacity allows.