Protests held outside Education Minister’s house

Haveeru
A group of people gathered near Education Minister Dr Musthafa Luthufee’s house on Sunday and Monday night, to protest against the decision to privatise Ghiyasuddin School.

The protestors, consisting mostly of women, gathered near the house Ma. Victory on Dhilbahaaru Magu around 9:00pm on Sunday night and called for the Education Minister’s resignation and expressed their anger over the US$250 fee that was rumoured to be charged from students. Police managed to disperse the crowd around 11:00pm.

Although only a small group carried placards and banners and actively participated in the protest, a huge number of people thronged the area. At one point things heated up when protestors said that someone had thrown a rock at them. When Police intervened and tried to disperse the crowd, saying that protest was causing a breach of the peace and blocking traffic, four women defied the orders and had to been taken into custody. However, the Police released them shortly thereafter, on the condition that the crowd should disperse.

During the protest, a man in handcuffs was seen being escorted into a Police vehicle. A Police Media Official said later that the man was not being arrested, but being escorted away from the area.

Police warned the people gathered in the area that they would break up the demonstration by force and make arrests if their orders were not obeyed, and that they would not be responsible if anyone was hurt or injured.

When the protest took place on Sunday night, the Education Minister was not in the country. Dr Musthafa said on Monday that he had only arrived in Malé on Monday morning. He further said that that it was clearly stated that the admission fee for the School would only be charged from new students who were enrolling. A group of people had gathered near the Education Minister’s house on Thursday night also.

The Government shortlisted India’s Shri Educare to take over the operation of Ghiyasuddin School under the decision to privatise the school. However, the Education Ministry has so far not revealed any details about it, and although rumours have spread that the school would charge US$250 for each student, there has been no official word confirming the news.

What is known is that the Ministry had said earlier that they would charge a fee from new students who enrolled at the school. Those students who are currently studying at the school would not have to pay the fee.