Schools across the country today resumed classes for the new academic year with a total of 84,000 students after the Eid-ul-fitr holidays.

Of the 84,000 students, 25,000 are studying in the Greater Male' Region, and around 73,000 students will study in 216 government schools, the Education Ministry said today.

According to the ministry, more than 7,000 students have started studying in Grade 1 this year, out of which 2,491 students have enrolled for Grade 1 in government schools in the Male' area till yesterday.

As per the government policy, schools will have a single session of teaching. Accordingly, this year, 156 schools will have a single session and the satellite school system will be taught in six schools. These schools are V. Thinadhoo School, Fehendhoo School, Fulhadhoo School, Kondey School and Dhidhdhoo School.

The Education Ministry revealed that the required books have been acquired for the students and teachers for the schools have also been recruited accordingly to individual needs. A total of 6,516 local and 1,843 foreign teachers will work in schools this year, the ministry said.

According to the ministry, in the last five years, the expansion of school classrooms and other works in schools have been completed across the country. Out of these projects, a total of 63 projects have been completed and a total of 109 projects are ongoing with 265 classrooms, 20 multi-purpose halls and 192 other facilities being worked on.

Three schools that were under construction in the Male' area have been completed and put to use as well/ These include the new building of Dharumavantha School and the Centre for Higher Century Education (CHSE). In addition, students of Arabiyya School will be transferred to the building where Dharumavantha School was located earlier and will resume classes today.