The Maldives cabinet announced cutbacks in government spending, including cancellation of the annual Independence Day celebration at a stadium called the national grounds. This prompted howls of protest from schools in the capital, where students were rehearsing for their big day of national pride. The next day the president announced that the celebration would go on as scheduled. I went with the education reporter to get interviews at the stadium. The parents weren't talking, but the kids had a lot to say in both Dhivehi and English. Maybe this camera shyness is a generational thing.
Clearly, public opinion does not favor any budget cutbacks where the nation's children are concerned. They like to say in Maldives that one third of the country wears a school uniform, meaning that one out of every three Maldivians is a school-age child. Parents here make a lot of sacrifices to ensure the quality of their kids' education. The honor of performing on Independence Day is rotated among all the schools in Male and the kids get their turn every four years. So if these kids missed their slot this year, the older ones wouldn't have another chance.
The Maldives cabinet announced cutbacks in government spending, including cancellation of the annual Independence Day celebration at a stadium called the national grounds. This prompted howls of protest from schools in the capital, where students were rehearsing for their big day of national pride. The next day the president announced that the celebration would go on as scheduled. I went with the education reporter to get interviews at the stadium. The parents weren't talking, but the kids had a lot to say in both Dhivehi and English. Maybe this camera shyness is a generational thing. 
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