The Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ali Haidar has met with Maldivian student pilots in Spain under the government loan scheme.
The minister, via a post on X on Thursday, May 8, said that he listened thoroughly to the concerns and requests the students made during an online meeting held on Wednesday. Haidar said that he assured the students that the ministry will undertake efforts to provide an acceptable solution to some of the major concerns the students raised.
Earlier on February 22, student pilots in Spain had sent a letter addressed to the Ministry of Higher Education, addressing their grievances.
The concerns raised included difficulties the students faced in obtaining visas and the lack of adequate stipend for expenses for their studies, which has resulted in them spending from their own pockets. They also conveyed difficulties related to additional time required for the course, which exceeds the loan period.
The students further said the USD 1,300 government-provided stipend was insufficient to cover their living expenses in Barcelona, where the minimum average cost of student accommodation is also the same amount as the stipend due to which they have to spend on food from their own funds.
Additional concerns included the stipend being deposited to their bank accounts in Maldivian Rufiyaa, which results in the students facing losses at the time of currency exchange.
In April, the Minister of Transport Mohamed Ameen said 200 pilots who studied abroad at significant expenses still remain unemployed.
This resulted in the government allocating only 10 slots for pilot training under the government-funded scheme in 2024.