Nasheed opposes school uniform policy citing costs for parents

Former President Mohamed Nasheed said on Saturday that school students are already adequately covered and that changing school uniforms would create unnecessary financial pressure on families.

The Ministry of Education has issued a new uniform regulation to all schools, standardising uniform colours. Under the rule, girls from Grade 4 onwards will be required to wear long trousers even if they choose to wear a skirt. The regulation, developed in consultation with school authorities, will take effect in 2027.

In a post on X, Nasheed said more than 90,000 students are enrolled in schools across the Maldives and that parents may have to spend about MVR 900 per uniform if the changes are implemented.

He added that this would amount to more than MVR 80 million spent collectively by families, which he described as an unnecessary burden. Nasheed said students are already sufficiently covered under the current uniform guidelines. He also shared a photo of students from earlier years wearing skirts without additional layers.

Under the new regulation, official uniform shirts must be white, soft red, sky blue or teal green. Scarves, skirts and shirts must be black or navy blue. Students who wear headscarves may choose between headscarves matching the uniform colour or in navy blue, royal green, bright red or white, depending on arrangements made by each school.

Key uniform changes for girls include:

For Key Stage 1 students, including Foundation Stage and Grades 1–3, the uniform requirements remain the same, with optional elements left to the students.

Key uniform rules for boys: