Minister of Education Dr Ismail Shafeeu has said yesterday that over 2000 teachers are still required across 20 atolls.
Minister of Education Dr Ismail Shafeeu has said yesterday that over 2000 teachers are still required across 20 atolls.
It has been a persistent concern in the Education sector that there is a low number of local teachers employed in Maldives' schools. The government has announced that a national program to encourage more locals to train as teachers will be introduced.
The program is scheduled to comment on August 22. To prepare for this, the Education Ministry first gauged the number of teachers required in all atolls of the Maldives, and identified which subjects the teachers are needed for.
1. Male': 252
2. Haa Dhaalu Atoll: 211
3. Haa Alif Atoll: 201
4. Laamu Atoll: 170
5. Thaa Atoll: 158
6. Shaviyani Atoll: 142
7. Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll: 140
8. Raa Atoll: 138
9. Kaafu Atoll: 131
10. Baa Atoll: 130
11. Noonu Atoll: 121
12. Alif Alif Atoll: 112
13. Alif Dhaalu Atoll: 111
14. Addu: 93
15. Gaafu Alif: 80
16. Fuvahmulah: 68
17. Meemu Atoll: 52
18. Dhaalu Atoll: 44
19. Vaavu Atoll: 38
20. Lhaviyani Atoll: 35
21. Faafu Atoll: 34
A total of 253 of these teachers are required for primary grades. The subjects for which teachers are most needed are Mathematics and English. For English Language, 208 teachers are needed, with 175 needed for Mathematics. Even for Dhivehi Language, 113 more teachers need to be sought.
The Minister revealed that the large scale program to train local teachers will be carried out through three grants that have been received, and will not be spent on from the State budget.
He said that MVR 1,500 allowance offered for A'level completers who wish to enter the teaching field is also being arranged through a grant.
In May 2022, the previous government raised the salaries of teachers and principals saying that low pay is the reason why there are a low number of locals working in the field. However, colleges and universities have since said that no significant increase has been observed in the number of people opting for the education field even after this change.
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