Education Ministry hikes teachers’ pay by 35 and 15 percent

The Ministry of Education has increased the salaries of some teachers by 35 percent, and others by 15.

At a ceremony at the Islamic College on Friday (January 9) the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Dr Abdul Mushin said Leading Teachers with a Masters degree will now take home a monthly salary of MVR17,334, having previously received MVR13,218.50.

Teachers with a Masters degree have been awarded a MVR4,000 hike in salary, increasing take home pay from MVR12,228 to MVR16,374.

Those with a Bachelors degree were awarded a MVR3,600 hike – increasing take home pay from MVR11,238 to to MVR14,894, and teachers with a Diploma Certificate were awarded a MVR2,600 hike – increasing take home salary from MVR8,671 to MVR11,337.

Teachers who hold other qualifications were awarded increases between 25 and 15 percent.

The academic year is to start on January 11 and will end on November 24.

The increase in salary comes after 90 percent of the country’s teachers protested in September last year – wearing black clothing to raise awareness over issues such as poor pay, inadequate protection of teachers, and the failure to grant the Teachers Association of Maldives official recognition.

Speaking at a press conference today, education minister Dr Aishath Shiham said President Abdulla Yameen had fulfilled his pledge to honor teachers, and that the government’s aim was to employ qualified teachers and provide them with adequate pay.

The ministry had made all necessary preparations for the academic year, the minister said, adding that no student would have to stay home from school due to lack of space or facilities.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Education Adam Shareef said schools would begin teaching the newly compiled national curriculum starting tomorrow.

President Yameen in October made creative arts – including music and dance – optional subjects in curriculum after pressure from religious conservatives and political parties.

Shareef said the ministry will hold training on changes to the curriculum for media, parents, and teachers in the next few months.

Although all books for the new curriculum have not yet been printed, the first packages for the first term have been printed and are being dispersed to schools, Shareef said.

Deputy Minister of Education Ibrahim Ismail today said the government had spent MVR12 million on repairing and renovating 212 schools for the new academic year.

Deputy Minister Azleen Ahmed said the education ministry had given out loans and scholarship to over 1000 students for higher studies in 2014. The same opportunity will be extended this year, he said.

The ministry’s top priority for 2015 was to establish an Islamic University, Azleen said. A bill had been drafted to facilitate the establishment of the Islamic University and will be submitted to the parliament when it opens in March, he continued.

In November, the Maldivian Democratic Party’s budget review committee suggested that the government had not budgeted the required MVR532 million (US$34.5 million) needed to raise the salaries of teachers despite promises made by both President Yameen and Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel.

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