The Education Ministry decided yesterday to install air conditioners in classrooms of all government schools "with help from the community" amid a growing outcry over the Jamaluddin School seeking donations from parents to buy fans for classrooms facing high temperatures.

The installation of air conditioners in all government school classrooms will be completed within two years, Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu said in a post on social media yesterday.

"God willing, we will finish [air-conditioning] all government schools with the help of the community within two years. Work on this project due to begin with the advice of the honorable President will be inaugurated in the last week of May," the minister said.

Earlier this week, Jamaluddin School sent a message to parents with a request to donate fans for classrooms.

"Classrooms are very hot. The school is working to find a fan for each classroom. Parents can contribute, even if it's just one fan," read the message sent to a group.

The decision to have air-conditioning in all classrooms came after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu instructed the relevant agencies to install ACs in hot classrooms during the parliamentary elections campaign.

"I have now told the Education Ministry to improve the environment of all such schools, classrooms across the country. That is by installing ACs or else cooling with some kind of cooling system. We get requests from a lot of schools. So we are doing that work," he said on February 2 in Haa Dhaal Makunudhoo.

President Muizzu instructed the cooling of hot classrooms after students of the Makunudhoo school asked for air conditioners to be installed.

"Very young children who were in line to shake my hand, school children, while they were shaking my hand they said, 'our classrooms are very hot, please AC it.' That's what the children told me in secret," President Muizzu said.