Foundation Laid for Japanese-Funded Girls’ School in Maldives Capital

Text of report by Maldives privately-owned newspaper Haveeru Daily website on 22 May

The foundation stones for the secondary school for girls being built in Male as a gift from the Japanese government was laid by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Japanese Ambassador to the Maldives Kyoki Arashi on Wednesday [21 May]. The new school will be the second secondary school for girls to be built in Male.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the 73m dollar [sum as published] school, President Gayoom said that the opening of the school will provide Maldivian girls with a great opportunity for education. He also said that the bilateral relationship between the Maldives and Japan was increasing every day and that the building of the new school for girls was a sign of that friendship and thanked the Japanese government on behalf of the government and people of Maldives.

The new school will be built on the location where the old Tajuddin School had been.

Education Minister Zahiya Zareer also spoke at the ceremony and in her speech she noted that this was the 19th school that the Japanese government had gifted to the Maldives.

The Education Ministry had estimated that the Maldivian government will also spend around 5m rufiyaa on the second all- girls school in Male. The school will have 25 classes and will be able to accommodate 1,500 students. The school will also include a fisheries science laboratory, a home science and industrial room, physics, chemistry and biology labs, an audio-visual room, two multi- purpose rooms and a library.

Originally published by Haveeru Daily website, Male, in English 22 May 08.

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