The Ministry of Education is planning to conduct a rapid assessment this year to identify the reasons behind the lower performance of male students in national examinations, according to Minister of Education Dr Ismail Shafeeu.

The Minister highlighted the disparity in results between genders during the second session of the High Achievers’ Award ceremony. He cited official figures showing that 46 per cent of students who sat for the O’ Level exams passed. Among these, 44 per cent were male students, while 56 per cent were female students. A similar trend was seen in A’ Level exams, where 46 per cent of male students passed compared to 54 per cent of female students.

The Minister noted that this gap, if left unaddressed, could pose future challenges despite the country having achieved near-universal literacy. Historical records from 1980 showed that nearly 60 per cent of women in the Maldives were illiterate, a situation that has now been reversed with significant improvements in female education. 

The Ministry intends to examine a range of possible factors behind the gender gap, including whether current teaching methods or the curriculum might be contributing to the issue. Social and community-level challenges will also be considered as part of the assessment.

Minister Dr Shafeeu stated that the findings of the assessment will guide the Ministry in implementing targeted interventions to ensure more balanced academic outcomes between male and female students. The Minister also encouraged students to work hard and called on educators to uphold equal learning opportunities for all.