The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the migration of physical classrooms and school related activities to the virtual world, which brought with it many unforeseen challenges. The strategy adopted by Gaaf Dhaal Atoll Education Centre in the Maldives was titled “Going the Extra Mile - Maintaining Momentum of Teaching,  Learning and Character Development During Covid-19 Pandemic” The main thrust of the programme was to improve  student motivation and involvement in school activities by initiating a two-pronged strategy.   Thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Education, the necessary infrastructure had been put in place with the issuing of tablets to every student, who now could attend online classes held on Google Meet. 

However, the challenge faced by the teachers was to keep up student engagement in learning and other extracurricular activities. It soon dawned on the school that student motivation and engagement could be improved if extra-curricular activities were organised; the students would feel a sense of belonging despite being isolated in their homes. This was their first strategy. While following the rules of social distancing, they decided to hold regular school activities such as scouting online.