VP Faisal Inaugurates 5th International Teacher's Conference at Addu City

Vice President Faisal Naseem on Tuesday inaugurated the 5th International Teacher’s Conference at Addu City.

During his address at the special ceremony, the Vice President delivered several remarks.

Among them, he highlighted that the conference comes at an opportune time for Maldives, as the administration is firmly resolved to undertake initiatives to vastly improve the quality of education that local schools provide.

VP Naseem also emphasized the importance of Maldives learning from the methods used by countries which are particularly well-regarded for the quality of education.

Noting Finland, where he had an official visit in March, as such an example, the Vice President iterated that while the Finnish teaching methods may be unconventional; with emphasis on autonomous learning and critical thinking over Asian-favoured methods of rote learning, memorization, and frequent examinations - the nation has yielded clear results.

This statement is further strengthened by impressive standing Finland routinely achieves in global educational rankings.

He further lauded the high esteem in which Finland holds teachers and the steps that are undertaken to ensure that only the most capable individuals enter the teaching profession. For instance, a minimum of a Master’s degree is mandated for even entry-level teaching positions.

The Vice President noted it is paramount that the Maldives’s education system prioritizes providing a holistic and equitable educational approach that is fair to all our students.

Elaborating on these sentiments, he noted that it is essential that students demonstrating significant academic prowess are provided with a curriculum that is challenging enough, that those who struggle with schooling are provided with the adequate support to ensure that they are not left behind, and that students with special needs are provided proper guidance and attention.

Further, he noted that these underlying sentiments have been compiled into President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s Education Sector Plan 2019-2023.

The 5th International Teacher's Conference was organized by the National Institute of Education.

This year the focus will be on Education in the Global, National and Individual Context, while providing a forum for academics from different nationalities to share insights and expertise relevant to the field.