News Desk
The 8th International Teachers’ Conference officially kicked off today at Shaheed Ali School in Hulhumalé, bringing together 300 educators, administrators, and policy experts. Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef inaugurated the gathering as Chief Guest.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Education Dr. Ismail Shafeeu announced major curriculum revisions for early primary grades aimed at improving overall student performance.
“We are making the necessary changes to the content. Next year will bring a major overhaul to Key Stage 1 Grade 1 textbooks,” Dr. Shafeeu said. “I want to remind our teachers that even when books change, real transformation only happens through your hard work.”
The minister emphasized that investing in educators is an investment in the nation’s future. With rapid shifts in job markets and the growing role of artificial intelligence, he stressed that teachers must adopt new methods to prepare students for modern technology. Connecting classroom practices directly with research remains a primary goal of the conference.
Dr. Shafeeu also highlighted government efforts to bridge the gap between secondary and higher secondary education. Progression rates from secondary to higher secondary schooling have already risen from 40 percent to 50 percent, with the ministry targeting 60 percent following the opening of the upcoming Male’ Vocational High School.
Organized by the National Institute of Education (NIE), the two-day conference running through September 13 centers on the theme: “Reimagine, Rethink, Reform – Advancing Innovation for an Equitable and Resilient Future.”
Established in 2012 to foster research among educators, this year’s agenda includes over 60 research papers presented by local and international academics. Participants will also engage in four specialized workshops, two panel discussions, and two keynote addresses covering inclusive education, student engagement, classroom tech integration, coding, and robotics.
