Maldives

Preschool education is provided in a two-year cycle in Male and is gradually becoming available in the other atolls as well, reaching more than half of all preschool aged children. Primary prevention initiatives such as "First Steps," a UNICEF funded program, was being launched in 2001 to increase public awareness of early childhood development and early intervention and to promote knowledge-based child-rearing practices from the early years. Primary education consists of five years of education from grades 1 to 5 provided at the Atoll Schools and Atoll Education Centers.