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The opening of Billabong High EPS International School, the first such school in the island of Male, brings joy to parents, throwing flashbacks to the pioneering days of English education in the 1960s. Expectations are running high that the current initiative will give children a safe atmosphere to develop mentally and physically.
There is a high level of public dissatisfaction with the existing government-dominated school system. With 95% of students who join the system ending up as failures, the public's opinion appears justified. How did we arrive here?
Experts cite three contributory factors for the impasse:
- Too rapid expansion: The government followed a policy of building schools to pamper voters, disregarding its own capacity to staff and manage them. Gaps in the supply of teachers were filled with temporary teachers –mostly school dropouts.
- Suppressing private initiative: During the past 2 decades nearly all private and community schools were either nationalized or given 'government aid.' The so-called government aid acted like a 'kiss of death'. In return for getting a couple of free teachers, community and private schools were forced to adopt the government's ineffective strategies and inadequate fee structures. This was the policy that killed off the once-prestigious EPS and MES schools.
- Law on Children: The ill-conceived and inappropriately implemented law on the rights of children prevented teachers from disciplining children. As a result school bullies took control of the classes and vitiated the learning atmosphere.
Parents hope all this will now become history. They hope the new school will be the beginning of a string of such high quality schools in the country, brining to an end the dangerous atmosphere in the country's schools.
The Billabong High EPS International School established at the former EPS School building, is a joint collaboration between Kangaroo Kids Education Ltd of India and EPS School. According to Principal Hassan Nashid some 600 students have been enrolled in the school, which will operate on a single session basis. The fee structure is very reasonable considering the high amounts parents dish out for private tuition. Preschool fee is US $ 150 per month while students between grade 1 to 9 pay between US $ 200 and US $ 300. The staff includes Canadian, US, UK, Irish and South African nationals in addition to Maldivian teachers.
9 comments:
Zahir Hussain and Maumoon had planned to keep Maldivians uneducated. They deliberately introduced Dhivehi JSC and abolished private schools, so nobody will get a quality education.
Maumoon's schools produced nothing but addicts
To anonimous 5:28 pm,
"Maumoon's schools produced drug addicts." And they are running the country now. Hehehe
Maumoon and Zahir Hussain and Dr Latheef did a lot for education in the Maldives.Cambridge University and London University are proud of some of the results achieved in Maldives. So, are we. Proud.Now most people in the country can speak and write English.and know enough religion to be able to pray etc. Many of our students have done their o levels and A levels and have gone on to achieve first and masters and doctral degrees.
True some of our students have become drug addicts. But then they are also doing a good job running the country. Long live Anni and the Ganja force
the fees are a bit high for a start, as most parents can manage with 1 kid, but if for 2 kids, the rates are not reasonable. This initiation is a good start and hope for more in future. I would n't blame the gov. as I beleive they have done well upto the primary level, but the peoples mistake in giving 30years to one party, had made them stay long beyond their stretched level.
Why does the Government give the building free to EPS(Dhivehige Shareef 1% man, Bodufenvalhuge Musthafa and Hassan Mahir)to make them rich?Why did the heyo verikan Govt go for competitive bidding.Advertise in International papers like the Airport?If the right procedure was adopted fees would come down(minus EPS do nothing trio commissions).
EPS building is public property. 1% commission man divehige Shareef should not be allowed to get rich from this building. He also has a multi storey building(several apartments in it)in Orchid Magu which he leases for several thousands. This was a plot of land given by President Nasir to EPS to house teachers.Now there are no EPS teachers. There is really no EPS.Billabong is big buisness. They charge thousands.They can afford to pay housing allowances to their teachers.
The Govt need to charge Billabong high school rent for the school building. They should give up the teachers aptmnt building which is a cash cow for Shareef and co.
I think its time Maldives had a good quality private school. Dont you think so.
I think the fees charged are reasonable. Any given parent sending kids to so called FREE government school will spend atleast USD 100-200 a month on uniforms, tuition fees, buying various things for extra cocurricular activities etc.
If Billabong high keeps its promise and not take any other fees except the school fee - its a fair deal for the parents. i personally feel the fees charged are too low! the more fees parents pay, the better the school should perform in the private sector.
I heard that two women's jobs was tooked away from them last thursday. Because that they were abusing the children. Now i am thinking what kind of a school avoid this kind of thing happen...to 1 year. one woman was working there for 1 yr. how many children might be the victim of this incident? or The two women was innocent, School need to remove them from their jobs because of the lack of school income?
Now i want to know the truth?
remember noone can hide the truth
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