Education
According to a performance audit report released by the Auditor General's Office, the majority of students under the government's free degree scheme are studying in the fields of business management, education, and IT, with 16,388 students having participated in the scheme from 2019 to 2024. In the "Nation Chat" program held on 26 September 2026, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu urged students sitting for O-Level exams and preparing for A-Levels to utilize their time well, prioritize their studies, perform the five obligatory prayers, and obey their parents. Furthermore, speech competition training sessions targeting students from Addu and Fuvahmulah have also been initiated and carried out.
It has been revealed that the majority of students who studied under the government's free degree scheme pursued education in management and administrative fields; students who studied in this area accounted for 38 percent of participants in the scheme. Additionally, 17 percent of students studied in the field of teaching and 9 percent in accounting and taxation, while 65 percent of those who studied under the scheme were female students. It was also noted that the proportion of male students in the scheme was low due to vocational programs not being introduced up to Level 7, and 835 million Rufiyaa was spent from the state budget on this scheme from 2019 to the end of 2024.
On Saturday, 26 September 2026, the President appealed to students and youth to prioritize their studies and make the best use of time. In this regard, highlighting the importance of acquiring education, the President urged them to make full use of the opportunities available and move forward. Furthermore, he noted that recognizing time as valuable and spending it on learning and self-development is essential to building a bright future.
The training session for the speech competition specifically organized for students of Addu and Fuvahmulah City was held on Saturday, September 26, 2026. This training session was an important event conducted with the aim of further developing the speaking skills of school students from the two cities and fully preparing them for the competition. In addition, the session helped students build the key techniques of speechmaking and the confidence to speak before an audience. This program was a significant step toward providing adequate training and information to the participants competing in the speech contest.
It has been announced that this year's O-Level examinations have officially commenced and are progressing across various schools and examination centers throughout the Maldives. To facilitate the opportunity for participating students to complete their papers in a safe and smooth environment, relevant centers and schools have finalized all arrangements. Furthermore, during exam hours, monitoring work is being carried out by officials in accordance with established rules and guidelines. In this regard, all relevant parties are extending their cooperation to ensure the examinations of this important stage in the students' academic journey proceed according to schedule.