Tag: education

Sri Lankan university faculty could open in the Maldives

Sri Lankan Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake has raised the possibility of establishing a Business Management Faculty, affiliated to the Sri Jayewardenepura University, with High Commissioner of the Maldives to Sri Lanka, Hussein Shihab.

The Faculty will provide postgraduate degrees and diplomas in subjects including business management, business administration, marketing, finance and IT.

Haveeru reported Dissanayake as saying that the proposal would give Maldivian students greater access and opportunity to pursue Sri Lankan degree programs.

“There is a large number of Maldivian students doing their higher studies in Sri Lanka. This university will help students who want to pursue their higher studies but cannot afford to do a degree in Sri Lanka and those who want to complete their higher studies in Maldives itself,” he told Haveeru.

There are currently 3000 Maldivian students studying in Sri Lanka.

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Education Ministry denies informing Arabiyya School board to mix genders

Deputy Education Minister Dr Abdulla Nazeer has denied his department ordered the management of Arabiyya School to mix classes of male and female students in grade eight in an attempt to solve capacity issues at the site.

Daily newspaper Haveeru has reported that the Principal of Arabiyya School, Sheikh Mohamed Rasheed ibrahim Rasheed, had claimed that management at the site had been informed by the Education Ministry to mix females and males in grades eight and nine to try and solve the capacity issue.

”After the capacity issue of Arabiyya School came to light, outrage was sparked among parents, who then came out to protest,” said Dr Abdull Nazeer. ”Therefore, the ministry looked in to the matter and examined the registry of the school. We found out that there were classes conducted with only 14, 13 or 12 students.”

Dr Nazeer said that the ministry then advised the school management that if these classes were merged, the issue would be solved ”as the standard capacity for a classroom is 32 students.”

”If the school management wishes, they could still continue the classes with fewer students,” Dr Nazeer said. ”We never forced or ordered the school management to do so.” He added that most of the classes in Arabiyya School already had female and male pupils studying together.

However, Haveeru quoted Arabiyya’s principal as saying that he was not comfortable with allowing female and male students to receive mixed education in grade eight and nine due to religious and social concerns.

Sheikh Rasheed added that his concerns were shared by parents of the school’s students.

According to Haveeru, the decision to merge classes would allow 64 students to enrol in grade one of Arabiyya School. Sheikh Rasheed was not available for comment at the time of going to press when contacted by Minivan News.

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Bill passed on separate administration for National University and Kulliyah

A National University bill was yesterday passed in the Majlis requiring the religious-focused Kulliyah to be run under a separate administration, providing opposition politicians a victory against the government, Miadhu has reported.

The government had argued that running the Kulliyah under a single administration within the university would allow it to reduce costs of a service that had a much smaller number of students, according to the report.

However, MPs said to be opposed to a single university administration that included the Kulliyah claimed that their victory would allow for improved standards and courses in higher education.

“Teaching the Islamic cultivation does not mean it is only teaching the Arabic language. It is to teach in set methodology. It is to cultivate from childhood itself. This is to make them responsible citizens of society,” Faresmathoda MP Ibrahim Muttalib was quoted as saying by Miadhu.

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Education workshops mull Maldives university “masterplan”

The development of a higher education “masterplan” for the Maldives that could eventually establish a network of university and training facilities were the key focus of consultation workshops held in the country this week.

The workshops, which were held yesterday at Male’s Traders Hotel and earlier in the week – December 2 – at Gan, Addu Atoll, were held to consult with a number of stakeholders in the field of higher education for a study on expanding training opportunities in the country, Miadhu reported.

Speaking yesterday from the Traders Hotel, Education Minister Dr Mustafa Lutfi said the workshops form part of a study that is being jointly conducted with World Bank support to try and provide higher education for everyone in the Maldives, an ambition he claimed that was vital for developing the nation.

Maldivian Vice President, Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, who was also in attendance at the event, was reported to have spoke on the vital need for a university in the country; something seen by the government as a “work in progress” at present.

According to Miadhu, Dr Waheed stressed there was a serious need to look at the Maldives’ capability to support multiple state-run universities that were technically capable of meeting international standards.

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Leader of MDP Religious Council resigns in protest

Chair of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Religious Council, Sheikh Adam ‘B.A’ Naseem, has resigned.

Sheikh Naseem confirmed to Minivan News that today he had sent the party a letter of resignation and requested the Elections Commission (EC) record his departure from the party.

“It was due to many issues,’’ Sheikh Naseem said. ‘’The education policy of this government is one issue.’’

There were other issues, he said, that he did “not wish to discuss”.

Spokesperson for MDP Ahmed Haleem said he had not received the information yet, and Chairperson of MDP MP Mariya Didi and Parliamentary Group leader MP Moosa Manik did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Last night protesters gathered near the house of Minister of Education Dr Musthafa Luthfy and called on the resignation of the minister, and some other senior officials at the ministry.

Religious NGOs such as Jamiyyathul Salaf and other NGOs have opposed to the introduction of co-education and warned the ministry that there will be “many social and religious issues” that would arise if the concept was introduced.

Dr Musthafa Luthfy recently told Minivan News that the ministry’s idea was not to introduce co-education, but was rather to combine primary grades to the current secondary schools, in which case the all-female and all-male schools would have to receive girls and boys.

There are currently four secondary schools in Male’, two for males only and the other two for females.

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Letter on Islamic education

Dear fellow Maldivian brothers and sisters,

Assalaamu alaikum Wrh. Wbr.

Let me express my concern over our school system. I invite all to comment on this, be it negative or positive, I would be pleased to hear your comments.

Maldivians believe their schools must develop a Muslim generation capable of analytical and critical thinking, who become Muslims by conviction and who will strive to fulfill their role as Allah’s vicegerents on Earth.

Maldivians believe their schools must develop strong and highly-educated Muslim persons for whom Islam is a complete way of life. This can only be achieved by developing a balanced and wholesome Islamic personality whereby one’s behavior and attitude are guided through training of the spirit, intellect and emotion as well as developing a sound and healthy body.

Maldivians believe their schools must develop educated Muslims who are capable of making good judgments that enable them to lead a life of ‘happiness’ through fulfilling their roles as the servants and vicegerents of Allah SWT.

Our schools must be Islamic schools because we are a 100 percent Muslim society. An Islamic school must emphasise an integrated and balanced human development – intellectual, physical, spiritual, moral, emotional and social – based on the Islamic World View anchored on Tawhid (the unity of Allah).

This means spiritual and character education is regarded as equally important as intellectual education.

Our schools must arouse curiosity and wonder in our students, inculcate important values such as sincerity, honesty, trustworthiness, self-reliance, excellence and responsibility.

Our schools must enhance our students’ spirituality through wonders of the natural phenomena, congregational prayers, Qur’an recitation and memorisation, Qur’an studies, halaqah (study circle), and observe Islamic adhab.

If you like to know about such a school, you can visit www.iis.edu.my

This school being international, English is the medium of instruction and the school adopts the University of Cambridge International Examinations Curriculum. Being Islamic, means Arabic Language and the Qur’an are equally or even more important.

International recognition and achievements of the above school: Top 5th Cambridge Centre in Malaysia 2004, ISO certification since 2003.

In a public gathering at Hulhumale’, Dr Hassan Saeed expressed that the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) was ready to setup an International Islamic School in the Maldives but the problem was they could not get land to build the school. Since the school I am talking about is also a subsidiary of IIUM, why not the Education Ministry try to obtain such assistance from the IIUM?

Wassalaamu alaikum Wrh. Wbr.

Saeed

All letters are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write a letter, please submit it to [email protected]

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Education Ministry slams news website for publishing names and allegations against students

The Education Ministry has expressed concern over an article on a Maldivian news website that published the names and schools of four students it alleged had sex.

The website said that one of the students had become pregnant and aborted the child, and that the school had “taken action” against these students. The website blamed the Education Ministry’s “inadequate policies”.

Deputy Education Ministry Dr Abdulla Nazeer said the allegations were untrue, misleading, and extremely damaging to the students.

“Publishing these sorts of untrue stories about students hurts the reputation of the students, ruins their education, and amounts to psychological abuse,’’ Dr Nazeer said.

“No student in those schools have committed any such activities, and the accusations are totally untrue,’’ said Dr Nazeer. “We are concerned as this disrespects the rights of children. Parents have complained to the ministry about the article.’’

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NGOs and parents protest against education sector outside president’s residence

A coalition of NGOs have begun a series of protests outside the President’s residence to express disapproval of the education sector of the Maldives.

A spokesperson for the NGO coalition, Ibrahim Moahmed, told Minivan News that the protesters waited peacefully outside the presidential residence over the weekend to express their disapproval of the education minister and his policy.

“There were parents, NGOs and other concerned people of the nation regarding numerous issues concerning the education sector,” said Ibrahim. “A person came from inside and told us we would get an appointment with the President tomorrow, and we all dispersed.”

Ibrahim said the NGO coalition consisted “of 127 NGOs.”

“50-60 people joined the protest,” he said.

The Education Ministry’s move towards co-education across all schools in the Maldives – currently only four are single sex – has drawn considerable consternation from many religious conservatives. Education Minister Dr Mustafa Luthfy is again in the spotlight after protests were held outside his house earlier this year following a proposal from the Ministry’s steering committee suggesting that Islam and Dhivehi be made optional at A-level.

Currently only 2000 of the 10,000 students who sit O-levels each year pass enough subjects to continue to A-level studies. This troubling statistic, identified by Luthfy as one of the country’s key social problems, results in approximately 8000 disaffected 15-16 year-olds released onto the streets annually, with little hope of finding a job until they turn 18.

More recently a debate has been sparked over the merits and demerits of co-education.

Referencing “a World Health Organisation (WHO) report”, Ibrahim claimed that a rising number of sexual relationship “is more concerning for the Maldives than the issue of illegal narcotics.”

He noted that the NGO coalition had sought to file the issue of co-education with parliament’s national security committee today.

The NGO coalition says they have highlighted 22 issues concerning the education sector.

On 4 October, the Adhaalath Party said the government’s new co-education policy was “a failed Western concept inconsistent with the teachings of Islam.”

On the next day, religious NGO Jamiyyathulsalaf called for the resignation of Education Minister Dr Musthafa Luthfy, and claimed that Arabiyya was the only Maldivian school with an adequate education policy.

In the same strain, the minority opposition party People’s Alliance (PA), led by the former president’s brother MP Abdulla Yameen, strongly condemned the idea of introducing co-education.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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‘Co-education’ inconsistent with the culture of Islam, says Adhaalath Party

The government’s new co-education policy is a failed Western concept inconsistent with the teachings of Islam, the Adhaalath Party has said.

“Co-education is a concept introduced at the beginning of this century by Western countries, and later spread across the Islamic world by colonial force”, a statement issued by the Adhaalath Party said.

It is a concept that is alien to the emphasis that Islamic teachings place on gender segregation in the education system, the statement read.

Furthermore, Adhaalath said, co-education has been proven more harmful than beneficial “by modern research.”

Citing American writer, anti-feminist and Republican Party activist George Gilder, the Adhaalath Party said co-education has been known to “accelerate puberty in students and increase the testosterone levels of boys by 20 percent.”

“As a result, boys spend their time in a state of heightened sexual turmoil,” the party claimed.

The statement read that girls suffer similar consequences, with increased sexual hormones, and “often suffer from fatigue and depression as a result.”

Students of both sexes, therefore, it said, “spend more time focusing on the opposite sex than on their studies.”

Adhaalath Party also added that it was “astonished” that the Education Ministry was attempting to introduce a system of education that is not only against Islam, “but has also been tried, tested and failed in the West.”

Adhaalath Party also contradicted findings that attribute high academic achievements at Ahmadiyya School to its co-education policy.

“Not only are the boys and girls at Ahmadiyya being taught in separate classrooms – even the entrances used by the two sexes are separate,” Adhaalath said.

Deputy Minister of Education Dr Abdulla Nazeer recently told Minivan News the ministry has not decided to mix female and male students in the secondary grades.

“But we have decided to establish primary grades in all the schools,’’ Nazeer said. ‘’So Majeediyya School, Dharumavantha, Ameeniyya and Hiriya will no longer be solely for Secondary education.’’

Secondary education will be provided in all the primary schools as well.

Currently only male students can join Majeediyya and Dharumavantha while only females can join Ameeniyya and Hiriya school. They teach grade eight, nine and ten, the final three years leading up to GCE O’Levels.

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