Ministry of Education has ordered the employees of all schools to complete the COVID-19 vaccine doses before the start of the new academic year.
The education ministry announced the decision via letters to the senior management of the schools, stating that it made the decision in order to begin the new academic year in a normal setting. The ministry stated it is discussing with relevant authorities on providing easy access to the second dose of vaccines for school employees who have received the first dose and that unvaccinated employees will also be given easy access to receive their first dose. School employees in the Greater Male' Region and the atolls will be given the opportunity to receive vaccines, stated the ministry.
The ministry has made it compulsory for all school employees to have received the first dose before the start of the new academic year and employees who have been exempt from receiving vaccines to submit a relevant document from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to their respective school.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions have drastically impacted the education system of the Maldives. Due to the pandemic, the first term of the 2021 academic year is scheduled to begin on August 10 and end on December 23. The second term is scheduled to begin on January 16, 2022, and the academic year is set to conclude on June 30, 2022.