DTIS, Volume I - Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)

should be added diseconomies of scale that limit the availability of various facilities and
services on smaller islands. Another issue that adds to transport difficulties is the
accessibility of many of the islands. Accessibility is not only complicated by the lack of
harbours or jetties, but also by shallow waters or coral reef. In addition, weather
conditions also play a role. Approaches to many islands are not provided with markers
that are visible at night.
The VPA-2 found that 27 inhabited islands were transport poor in relation to such criteria
as the availability of vessels on the island, frequency of vessels traveling to the atoll
capital and Male’, and physical and navigational access.
Whilst there is a regular ferry service to and from Male’ and surrounding islands and
some atoll capitals, there is no regular ferry service in operation to more distant atolls.
Availability has decreased as the number of persons per vessel available has increased,
which to some extent may be explained by the use of larger dhonis. According to VPA-2,
about 43 per cent of the atoll population lives on islands where there is less than one
vessel for every hundred people, up from 26 per cent in 1997.
Road infrastructure is limited and is only of significance on Male’ and Hulhumale’
islands. Most roads on the atolls are gravelled. One notable exception is the 14 km
bitumen road 1 that connects three islands on Seena atoll. The small size of most islands
does not encourage road development.
Aviation as a means of inter-island transport mostly serves the tourist sector, and the cost
is beyond the average person. Five companies (four privately-owned and one government
owned) provide passenger services (virtually no goods are transported by air).
F. EDUCATION
Educational achievement in the Maldives in recent decades has been impressive. In
effect, all children have access to primary education with some expansion in the
provision of secondary education facilities in the atolls. Two-thirds of the atoll population
now lives on islands where schooling up to grade 10 (O-levels) is available. That is more
than twice as high as in 1997.
One result of this expansion is the remarkable literacy rate of more than 97 per cent in
2004. 26 However, with limited job opportunities on the islands and with most tertiary and
vocational educational facilities located in Male’, young people tend to move to Male’ for
further training and/or formal education as well as a fruitless search for jobs.
Educational facilities are available in Male’ at all levels up to university first degree at
the Maldives College of Higher Education. Post-graduate level education is pursued
overseas with an increasing number of students competing for the limited scholarships
that are available. With a distinctively academic bias in the educational system, there is a
shortage of vocational skills such fields such as accounting, auditing, management,
26 Ibid; MPND, 2005.
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