The Ministry of Education has outlined significant plans to strengthen the national education system as the new academic year gets underway.

Education Minister Dr Ismail Shafeeu stated that a primary focus this year will be on revising subject syllabuses and enhancing the quality of content taught in classrooms across the country. The initiative aims to ensure that students receive updated and more effective learning materials.

In his national address marking the start of the academic year, the Education Minister announced that the development of digital textbooks and workbooks for key stage 4 subjects is set to begin. These resources will be created with support from experienced educators and technical experts in the field.

He also confirmed that the National Assessment for Learning Outcomes (NALO) will continue to be implemented. Previously conducted at the end of key stages 1 and 2, the assessment will now extend to students who completed key stage 3 in the last academic year. This expansion aims to identify learning gaps and improve academic performance at all key stages.

In addition, the Education Ministry is working to launch international benchmarking of student achievement to align local education standards with global performance indicators.

The minister also noted that professional development initiatives for teachers and school administrators were carried out during the previous academic year. These programmes, which focus on subject knowledge and middle-management training, are expected to continue this year to further boost teaching quality and school leadership.

On the topic of higher secondary education, Minister Dr Shafeeu reported that a pilot programme introduced last year across 23 schools in the atolls has resulted in a 77 per cent increase in A-level enrolment. Building on this success, the scheme will be expanded with more academic pathways introduced to support national development objectives.

Efforts to enhance learning environments were also highlighted. Under the Cool School Programme, preparations have been completed to install air conditioning in 3,740 classrooms in Government schools, with the upgrades expected to be finalised by September.

Emphasising the importance of evidence-based decision-making, the minister stated that the Ministry will begin rolling out modules of a new education management system this year. The system, developed with the integration of artificial intelligence and modern technologies, is intended to improve policy planning and administrative efficiency.

He also stressed the need for the education system to adapt to evolving societal and technological trends. Educators are encouraged to continuously update their teaching strategies in response to changing student behaviours, attitudes, and learning needs.

As nearly 90,000 students return to schools nationwide this year, approximately 11,000 teachers are set to support their academic journey. The Education Minister urged students to embrace the new academic year with renewed determination and enthusiasm for learning.