Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu said Monday that the government has no intention of introducing gender‑separated teaching in schools, despite calls from the Scholars Union to do so.
The Scholars Union wrote to the minister on Sunday urging him to ensure that boys and girls are taught separately “as much as possible,” arguing that major schools in the Maldives followed gender‑segregated models until 2008. The letter claimed that changes introduced under the MDP government were based on “secular ideology” inconsistent with Islamic principles and Maldivian culture.
Members of the Maldivian Scholars Union meet with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef during the 2023 presidential campaign.
The scholars also referenced a recent video circulating on social media that allegedly shows students of both sexes engaging in sexual activity inside a classroom at Addu High School.
When asked by Sun on Monday, Minister Shafeeu said the government has no plans of reverting to gender‑separated classrooms, but did not provide further details.
The Ministry of Education recently announced that school uniforms will be revised next year, a move that has drawn criticism from some who argue that the new rules impose stricter requirements on female students.
Arabiyya School is among the institutions in the Maldives that currently operate without gender‑based separation.