MALDIVES EDUCATION RESPONSE PLAN May 2020 For COVID-19 Ministry of Education Supported by with financial contribution from Maldives UNICEF, Maldives Global Partnership for Education Maldives Education Response Plan F O R C O V I D - 19 Ministry of Education Maldives May 2020 Supported by UNICEF, Maldives With financial contribution from Global Partnership for Education Contents Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................... 3 PART A ........................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 5 2. Brief background to COVID-19 situation in the Maldives ....................................................... 6 3. Preliminary assessment of the potential impact of COVID-19 on the school education sector ...................................................................................................................................... 7 4 Preparedness and initial response of the sector .................................................................. 20 5 Key challenges in continuity of learning and reopening of schools ...................................... 23 6 Financial implications of COVID -19 on the school education sector ................................... 32 PART B ......................................................................................................................................... 36 7 ERP Goal and Objectives ....................................................................................................... 36 7.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 36 7.2 Overall Goal .............................................................................................................. 36 7.3 Specific objectives .................................................................................................... 36 7.4 Principles .................................................................................................................. 37 8 Dimensions for intervention ................................................................................................. 38 8.1 Dimension A: Safety ................................................................................................. 39 8.2 Dimension B: Continuity of learning ........................................................................ 40 8.3 Dimension C: Support to the most vulnerable ......................................................... 44 8.4 Dimension D: Protection and wellbeing ................................................................... 44 8.5 Dimension E: Building resilience and strengthening coordination .......................... 45 9 Target beneficiaries............................................................................................................... 47 10 Possible scenarios to consider in school reopening ............................................................. 48 PART C ......................................................................................................................................... 58 11 Indicative budget .................................................................................................................. 58 12 Monitoring the ERP ............................................................................................................... 61 13 Coordination and implementation arrangements ................................................................ 62 References (Documents consulted in preparing the ERP) .................................................................... 63 Annex 1: List of Government schools with both Counsellors and Health Officers, May 2020 ............. 64 Annex 2: Teaching and learning during lockdown – the Concept Chart ............................................... 65 Annex 3: Timeline of initial key measures and responses by the MoE ................................................. 66 Annex 4: Action Plan with detailed budget .......................................................................................... 70 Annex 5: Results Framework ................................................................................................................ 71 1 List of Tables Table 1: Total School Enrolment by Level and Gender, 2020 ................................................................. 7 Table 2: Student Enrolment among the three types of schools ........................................................... 11 Table 3: Number of expatriate and national teachers in three types of schools ................................. 16 List of Figures Figure 1: HPA updates of COVID-19 cases in the Maldives as at 21st May 2020 ................................... 6 Figure 2: Student distribution in government schools by level and gender ......................................... 12 Figure 3: Student distribution in private schools by level, April 2020 .................................................. 13 Figure 4: Student distribution in community schools by level and gender ......................................... 13 Figure 5: Percentage of enrolment in community run schools, by gender, April 2020 ........................ 14 Figure 6: Proportion of national and expatriate teachers in government school in 2020 ................... 17 Figure 7: Counsellors in government schools ....................................................................................... 26 Figure 8: Percentage of government schools with and with no Health Officers .................................. 27 Figure 9: Proportion of national and expatriate teachers, at national level ........................................ 27 Figure 10: Number of government schools in different enrolment categories .................................... 31 Figure 11: Figure 1: Budget allocation to the school education sector ................................................ 33 Figure 12: Areas with reduced budget allocations as a share of the total budget reduction of the school education sector (in per cent) ................................................................................................... 34 List of Boxes Box 1: Farooq the Home Tutor ............................................................................................................ 15 Box 2: Key features of contingency plan recommended by the MoE to schools ................................ 21 Box 3: Instructions to schools regarding the different KSs .................................................................. 22 2 Abbreviations A’ Level Advanced Level AS Level Advanced Subsidiary Level BTEC Business and Technology Education Council COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19 EROC Coronavirus Disease 2019 Education Response Oversight Committee CSC Civil Service Commission DGPH Director General of Public Health DoIE Department of Inclusive Education ESA Education Sector Analysis ESP Education Sector Plan ESPRP Education Sector Preparedness and Response Plan ESQID Educational Supervision and Quality Improvement Division FS Foundation Stage FUP Fair Usage Policy GCE General Certificate of Education GoM Government of Maldives GPE Global Partnership for Education HECC Health Emergency Coordination Committee HEI Higher Education Institution HPA Health Protection Agency ICT Information Communication Technology IGCSE International General Certificate of Secondary Education ISP Internet Service Provider KG Kindergarten KPI Key Performance Indicator KS Key Stage LKG Lower Kindergarten LT Leading Teacher MDGs Millennium Development Goals MEMIS Maldives Education Management Information System MoE Ministry of Education MoF Ministry of Finance MoGFSS Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services MoH Ministry of Health MoHE Ministry of Higher Education MPS Maldives Police Service MRC Maldives Red Crescent NALO National Assessment of Learning Outcomes NCF National Curriculum Framework NEOC National Emergency Operations Centre NER Net Enrolment Rate NIE National Institute of Education O’ Level Ordinary Level OOSC Out of School Children PFA Psychological First Aid 86 PHEIC Public Health Emergency of International Concern PO President’s Office PPRD Policy Planning and Research Division Pre-KG Pre-Kindergarten PSM Public Service Media QAD Quality Assurance Department ROSA Regional Office for South Asia SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SEN Special Education Needs SIDS Small Island Developing States SMT Senior Management Team SOP Standard Operating Procedure SSC Secondary School Certificate TAG Technical Advisory Group TAM Teachers’ Association of Maldives TRC Teacher Resource Centre UKG Upper Kindergarten UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WFP World Food Programme WHO World Health Organisation 4 PART A 1. Introduction The twin shocks of school closure and economic recession that resulted from the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic could have serious long-term costs to education and development of the Maldives unless the country moves quickly to counter them. The scale of the school closure needed to protect public health is unprecedented.