O-level exams begin for close to 8,000 students across 260 schools

O-level exams began on Sunday for close to 8,000 students in schools across the Maldives.

A spokesperson from the Education Ministry told Sun total 7,971 students are sitting in this year’s O-level exams.

7,666 students are sitting for the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) exams, while 7,519 students are sitting for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC).

This includes students from 260 schools are sitting for their O-level exams this year. This includes students from 23 schools in the greater Male’ area, and 237 schools spread across the Maldives.

The O-level exams kicked off on Sunday with a paper in Islam.

Schools had reopened for a new academic year for some 90,000 students after a long holiday on April 7. This includes some 5,000 students who were newly admitted to Grade 1, including 2,000 who were enrolled to schools in the greater Male’ area.

Over 1,200 students transferred from schools in the atolls to schools in the capital, while around 500 changed schools within atolls.

In an address at the start of the academic year, Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu said the ministry has been implementing changes to reform the structure of its departments and sections to improve educational governance in order to eliminate challenges to implementing educational policies.

He also announced that the ministry will finish installing air conditioning systems in 3,740 classrooms in public schools across the country by the end of September as part of the government’s ‘Cool School’ program launched last year.