Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafeeu has said that 49 per cent of students who completed O Level examinations this year have gone on to enrol in A-Levels, reflecting a significant increase compared to last year.

Speaking to State media, the minister said that 6,700 students completed O-Levels in 2023, of which 2,100 continued to A-Levels. This year, 6,500 students completed O-Levels and 3,200 enrolled in A-Levels.

The minister said that many communities had requested A-Level classes in more islands, and this year 13 additional schools began offering higher secondary education. In total, 66 schools across the Maldives now provide A-Level programmes.

“A-Level was not considered so important before, but now the mindset has changed,” Minister said.

He added that higher secondary education is not only important for academic learning but also plays a crucial role in preparing students for the workplace, improving communication skills, and equipping them for everyday life.

Looking ahead, the Government plans to restructure higher secondary education into two pathways: an academic track and a vocational track. Work to introduce the vocational stream will begin soon, the minister said.

Earlier this year, the Government announced that it aims to make A-Level qualifications the standard school-leaving benchmark in the Maldives.