A-Level enrolment rises 49% after change in admission criteria
Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafeeu said on Sunday that more than 3,000 students are studying A Levels in 2025, a 49 per cent increase compared with last year.
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The number of students enrolling in higher secondary education has increased significantly this year following changes to A Level admission criteria, according to the Ministry of Education.
Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafeeu said on Sunday that more than 3,000 students are studying A Levels in 2025, a 49 per cent increase compared with last year.
In previous years, over 7,000 students completed O Level examinations annually, with around 2,000 progressing to higher secondary education. The ministry revised admission requirements last month to expand opportunities.
The changes provide three routes for entry into A Level studies:
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Academic stream: A minimum grade of C in a set number of O Level subjects, with criteria relaxed from previous years.
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Vocational education: Students may pursue vocational subjects at school.
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Workplace apprenticeship: Students may complete an apprenticeship as part of their studies.
In addition, students in islands where A Level is taught may be admitted with special permission from the ministry, even if they do not fully meet the criteria.
The ministry said the increase is due not only to relaxed criteria but also to the expansion of A Level classes to more islands and the opening of the new Centre for Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) building.
Minister Shafeeu added that A Level education aims to prepare students for both further academic study and the workplace, with a focus on communication and employability skills.
