Friday 03 Jul 2026
Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu speaks at Aminiyya School’s prize-giving ceremony: The Minister states efforts are underway to increase teaching hours for Dhivehi, Islam and Maths. (Photo/Education Ministry)
About 8,000 students are not attending school regularly these days, Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu said on Thursday.
Speaking at the release of last year’s National Assessment of Learning Outcomes report, the minister said regular attendance is essential for students to maintain adequate results.
He said that since the 21st of last month, schools have begun marking daily attendance for both students who attend and those who do not. Previously, schools were required to notify the Ministry of Education only when a student was absent for a certain period of time.
The minister expressed concern over the large number of students not going to school during this period.
“We parents, teachers, everyone needs to think about this. Parents in particular need to think. I know this is the World Cup. However, the fact that eight thousand students are not going to school is something we are concerned about,” said Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu.
He said the highest number of students absent from school these days are in the Male' area, noting that 40 percent of students in the region are not attending school.
According to the minister, each day a student misses school negatively affects their learning. He added that repeated absences may lead to students losing interest in school altogether, creating difficulties for both parents and teachers.
