The new academic year has begun today.

Although the Education Ministry's calendar released on February 23 this year had scheduled classes to begin yesterday, classes have started after the completion of Ramadan fasting and the six days of Shawwal fasting.

The Education Ministry said that as classes began today, more than 89,000 students from pre-school to grade 12 will be studying.

In addition, about 11,000 teachers will be teaching this time, with more than 10,000 teachers teaching in government schools, the ministry said.

This year, more than 2,000 new students have been admitted to grade 1 in the Male' area, and more than 5,000 new students have been admitted to grade 1 across the country, the ministry said.

The ministry also said that more than 1,200 students have transferred from schools in the atolls to schools in the Male' area.

According to the ministry's academic calendar, the first term holiday will begin on July 24. There will be 16 days for the first term holiday.

The second term will begin on August 10. And the second term will end, and the long holiday will be on December 28.

Previously in the Maldives, the academic year used to begin in January every year, but due to the COVID-19 situation, the start of the new academic year was changed to August.

With this change, as the long holiday fell during the peak of the monsoon season in June/July, considering the concerns of parents, President Dr. Mohame, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has changed it back to starting the new academic year in January and ending in December as it was before. With this change, from next year, the new academic year will begin in January.

This year's long holiday will be from December 28 to January 27.