Minister of Education Dr. Aishath Ali has stated the government aims to train 20 school principals per year. She made the remarks while responding to a question at the Parliament of the Maldives regarding the lack of principals in some schools.
Education Minister Aishath said the government has found it difficult to find experienced and capable principals and that one of the key issues is the inadequate salary allocated for the positions. However, the minister said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has made efforts to solve the issue, which includes providing an allowance to principals who have to travel to other islands for work. She said school principals who are required by the education ministry to work at schools on another island receive an allowance of USD 195.
Furthermore, Minister Aishath said the government has begun its work to train more principals by announcing 20 scholarship opportunities. The minister said individuals who receive scholarships will be trained in Malaysia and will also receive an allowance equivalent to a principal's salary. She added that the last time the government provided such training opportunities was in 2011.
The individuals who receive scholarships will also receive free two-way tickets to Malaysia and are required to work at a school chosen by the government for a specific period of time after their graduation.