Minister of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development Dr Ismail Shafeeu has said that forming trade unions using the names of schools is against the regulations governing union registration.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Minister Dr Shafeeu was responding to a question from Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir regarding the Ministry’s decision not to recognise a union established by teachers of Iskandhar School and to prohibit it from carrying out activities on school premises.

The Minister said teachers are the most important professionals in the education sector, but maintained that unions cannot be established using the names of schools. He cited trade union registration regulations, which prohibit unions from using the names of State institutions or names that could be confused with them. He added that schools require greater protection and safeguards than ordinary public institutions.

Minister Dr Shafeeu also questioned the validity of the union's registration, saying the Education Ministry does not believe it was registered correctly and is preparing to raise the matter with the Registrar of Unions. He added that the school's decision not to recognise the union was made in line with guidance issued by the ministry.

The Minister stressed that the Government remains committed to protecting teachers' rights and has held extensive discussions with the Teachers Association to address their concerns. However, he said the Government does not support the formation of separate unions within individual schools, arguing that such unions could create divisions among teachers.

During supplementary questions, MP Mauroof pointed out that the union established by Iskandhar School teachers had been officially registered by the Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology in January and was later invited to participate in the ministry's May Day rally. He questioned the legal basis for the Education Ministry's decision to prevent the union from operating under its registered name.

In response, Minister Dr Shafeeu said the union may have been registered without sufficient review but maintained that its name is inconsistent with the regulations. He reiterated that schools require special consideration and said the ministry would formally take up the matter with the authorities responsible for trade union registration.