A united effort from the wider community is needed to improve students' moral character, and it is important to adopt successful approaches used by developed countries to nurture morally upright students, Minister of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development Dr Ismail Shafeeu has said.
The minister made the remarks while delivering the keynote address during the third session of the High Achievers Award 202 ceremony held at CHSE in Hulhumale'.
Dr Shafeeu noted that the first phase of the government's "Bingaa" character development programme, introduced to strengthen students' moral values, has been completed successfully. He said the programme aims to develop Maldivian children who excel academically, demonstrate strong moral character, and possess the life skills needed to become capable and productive members of society.
Launched under the guidance of the President, the programme carried out more than 3,900 activities during its first phase alone. According to the minister, these activities were designed to instil important values and qualities in students, including performing prayers, compassion, patriotism, responsibility, honesty and cleanliness.
Referring to a study conducted by the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, Dr Shafeeu said that 97 per cent of education professionals and many parents believe that developing students' character should be a key priority for schools. He added that the Maldives should learn from the successful models adopted by developed countries and implement similar initiatives within the national education system.
"The findings show that parents consider character education to be an essential part of schooling. Ninety-seven per cent of educators believe schools have a responsibility to develop students' character, and there is broad recognition that character education should be taught explicitly. This is the approach taken by developed countries. We should learn from the successful practices they have implemented," the minister said.
The government's "Bingaa" programme is a dedicated character development initiative aimed at cultivating positive values and habits among students. It is being implemented through the combined participation of schools, parents and the wider community, with activities organised around different themes.
The minister said programmes of this nature would encourage students to show greater respect towards teachers and help create a stronger culture of good character throughout schools. However, he stressed that this should not be viewed as a responsibility confined within the four walls of schools. Instead, it requires the collective support and participation of the entire community. Through such cooperation, he said, the country can raise students with strong moral values, respect for others, and the qualities needed to earn the trust and admiration of society.