President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that sustainable and holistic national development can only be achieved through policies that ensure economic development and social development are closely interconnected.
The President made these remarks while delivering the Presidential Address at the first sitting of the first session of the 20th People’s Majlis for the year 2026.
In his address, the President outlined his policy vision of building a nation that is educated, healthy, physically fit, and mentally strong. He noted that the Administration has already begun implementing sustainable reforms to the education system aimed at creating an educated and capable generation.
The President highlighted measures introduced to assess student proficiency under the National Curriculum. Over the past two years, a special primary completion examination was administered to students completing Grade 6 to evaluate proficiency levels. In addition, pilot programmes to evaluate minimum proficiency levels were conducted last year for students completing Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
The President further stated that revisions to the early education framework and the development of a Curriculum Integration Model have initiated the reorganisation of Key Stage 1 textbooks into thematic books. He explained that this approach integrates lessons across multiple subjects, enabling more effective and accessible learning for students.
In his address, the President announced that a fully digitalised system would be established in the new academic year, allowing teaching and learning decisions to be based on accurate and timely data. He added that efforts to expand digital infrastructure across all schools in the Maldives would continue.
The President noted that by December 2025, 142 classrooms, nine multipurpose halls, and 56 educational support facilities had been completed. He stated that an additional 216 classrooms, seven multipurpose halls, and 250 educational support facilities would be completed and brought into use during the current academic year. Furthermore, work is underway to construct an additional 955 classrooms, 78 multipurpose halls, and 2,923 educational support facilities nationwide.
Addressing inclusive education, the President announced that a special programme would be launched this year to implement the national inclusive education policy. He stated that training for Special Educational Needs (SEN) teachers has already commenced and that the programme would be expanded further this year.
The President affirmed that all schools lacking classrooms, privacy-designed washrooms, and other essential facilities would be provided with appropriate educational resources to support students with disabilities. He also announced that a dedicated programme would be introduced this year to develop specialised learning materials for children with disabilities and to support their preparation for O-Level qualifications.
Additionally, the President underscored that during the first session of the People’s Majlis, the Government would submit legislative amendments to enable homeschooling for students based on assessments of disability levels. He further announced that, effective from 1 March 2026, parents of children with disabilities employed in the civil service would be given the option to work from home.