President Dr Mohamed Muizzu attended the fifth session of the High Achievers’ Award 2025 as the guest of honour, presiding over an evening ceremony held at the Centre for Higher Secondary Education in Hulhumalé. The event celebrated students achieving the highest national results across secondary and higher secondary examinations. Accolades included the High Achievement Award and the Outstanding Pearson Learner Award, alongside the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award and the High Achievers Scholarship.
Dr Ismail Shafeeu, the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development, noted that educational reforms anticipate increased science and technology interest within three years. Currently, 28,000 students engage in higher education via free degree and scholarship programmes, yet only 11 per cent pursue science and technology. Minister Shafeeu attributed this to a previous policy allowing the abandonment of mathematics, a trend the administration reversed by making the subject compulsory.
"First and foremost, we rectified that," the minister noted, projecting impact within three to four years. The administration fundamentally prioritises student character development under the 'Bingaa' programme, which has conducted 39,400 activities this year. Since President Muizzu assumed office, the Grade 10 progression rate to higher secondary education has climbed from 34 to 48 percent, with projections reaching 65 percent by 2028.
Minister Shafeeu urged graduates to evaluate job market opportunities before selecting disciplines, stressing that students should maintain a commitment to serving the nation and its citizens after completing their publicly funded studies.