Schools told to investigate student absences and take action
Shafeeu revealed last week that around 8,000 students were absent from school, with 40 per cent of those students enrolled in schools in the Malé area.
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Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafeeu has said schools have been instructed to identify the reasons behind student absenteeism and take action where students are absent without a valid reason.
The minister made the remarks during Tuesday's sitting of the People's Majlis after being questioned about measures being taken to address student absences.
Last week, while speaking at the launch of the Key Stage 3 2025 National Assessment of Learning Outcomes Report, Shafeeu revealed that around 8,000 students were absent from school, with 40 per cent of those students enrolled in schools in the Malé area.
Responding to questions in Parliament, Shafeeu said schools are now required to submit daily attendance reports to the Ministry of Education, allowing the ministry to monitor attendance trends.
He said absenteeism is an issue that requires the attention of schools, parents and the wider community.
According to the minister, prolonged absence from school can affect both students and the country's long-term development. He said the priority should be to identify why students are not attending school and to address those issues.
"The ministry will take action on this. The week before last, I personally met with the principals of Malé schools and directly instructed them to take appropriate measures," Shafeeu said.
"I must emphasise that taking appropriate action and addressing this issue is a top priority. The assurance the government wants to give is that we will not let any child just stay at home without attending school."
Shafeeu also referred to an attendance monitoring policy introduced during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
Under that policy, schools were required to notify the ministry when a student was absent for three consecutive days, while students absent for 10 consecutive days had to be reported as non-attending.
The minister said the policy was not given sufficient attention during the subsequent administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
