Ensuring every child in Maldives benefits from safe, inclusive digital learning

Today, on the International Day for Digital Learning, UNICEF reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that every child in Maldives can learn, grow, and thrive in an increasingly digital world.

This year’s theme, ‘Building digital futures for public education,’ speaks directly to the realities of Maldives, where geographical dispersion continues to shape the learning experiences and opportunities available to children and adolescents.

For many young people, the vast distances between islands remain a significant barrier to transition to higher levels of education, potentially resulting in higher rates of NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), limiting adolescents’ opportunities for personal and professional development. At the same time, persistent teacher shortages and limited pathways to upper secondary education also leave many adolescents without the guidance and support they need to continue their education, further reinforcing existing vulnerabilities and disparities, particularly for those in small and remote communities.

Against this backdrop, expansion of hybrid learning, comprising the integration of digital learning into face-to-face learning represents a powerful opportunity for progress. However, the limited availability of structured online learning opportunities, quality digital content, and adequately trained teachers means that the potential of digital learning remains under-utilised.

With the Government’s ‘Maldives 2.0’ vision prioritising digital transformation, there is a unique moment to bridge these gaps, ensuring that every island is reached, every learner is supported, and every teacher is empowered through safe, inclusive, and high-quality digital solutions. At the same time, this transformation must not only expand access to knowledge but also nurture children to be responsible, ethical, and socially aware while engaging in digital spaces.

In Maldives, UNICEF is supporting national efforts to strengthen digital learning ecosystems, expand the satellite school model, and build reliable, curriculum-aligned digital learning content that enrich teaching and learning. Through initiatives such as the ‘TechPath’ programme, we are working with partners to enhance foundational learning, support teachers and equip children and young people with the skills to navigate digital environments safely, responsibly, and confidently as engaged digital citizens.

But technology alone is not the answer. Teachers remain at the centre of learning, and schools remain vital spaces for children’s growth, protection, and development. Digital tools must enhance, and not replace, the human connections that make learning meaningful.

In this regard, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that digital transformation in education is guided by children’s evolving needs and grounded in public good. A strong digital learning system is not defined by the number of devices in classrooms, but by whether every child can access quality learning, feel safe and included, and develop the skills and ethics to thrive in both online and offline spaces.

Through these efforts and ongoing collaboration with the Government and communities, UNICEF stands ready to support Maldives in building a safe and inclusive digital future that reaches every child on every island, ensuring they can learn, grow, and thrive online while being protected from digital risks.

As we look ahead, UNICEF Maldives remains committed to supporting a transformative digital future for education – one that strengthens public systems, empowers teachers, and ensures that every child, in every island community, can access the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they deserve as capable and confident digital citizens.