Students Missing School Should Concern Everyone; Schools Requested to Take Necessary Measures, Says Minister

Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafeeu has urged schools to take necessary measures to address cases of student absenteeism, saying the increasing number of students missing classes without valid reasons should concern parents, educators and the wider community.

Answering a question posed to him on the measures of the ministry regarding the large number of students missing school recently, Dr Shafeeu said the Ministry of Education has identified a significant number of students who are not attending school regularly after introducing a system requiring schools to submit daily attendance reports.

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The Minister said efforts to monitor student absenteeism began during the previous PPM administration, when authorities started identifying students who were not regularly attending classes. While he said he did not wish to name specific political parties, he noted that the monitoring system weakened during the subsequent MDP administration, with schools previously required to report only cases involving consecutive absences. 

Building on previous work, schools have since June been required to submit daily attendance data to the ministry, covering both students who attend and those who are absent, said Dr. Shafeeu. He said that the system has revealed a concerning number of students are not attending school regularly.

The minister said he recently met with school principals in Malé and requested them to address absenteeism cases and take the necessary action.

“This is something that should concern parents, the ministry, schools and everyone,” he said, warning that student absenteeism could negatively affect national human capital development.

The minister clarified that the concern does not include students who are absent due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances, but students who fail to attend school without legitimate reasons.

On Saturday, sharing his remarks during the release of last year’s National Assessment of Learning Outcomes report, which highlighted the importance of consistent school participation, he stressed that regular attendance is essential for improving learning outcomes.

Expressing his concerns over student absenteeism, he revealed that about 8,000 students are not attending school regularly and warned of its impact on learning.

Dr Shafeeu said the highest levels of absenteeism have been recorded in the Greater Malé area, where around 40 per cent of students were reported as not attending school regularly.

He added that while factors such as the ongoing World Cup may have contributed to reduced attendance in some cases, the ministry remains concerned about the overall trend.