Reconstituting education policy for a fragmented society.
“Education has to bring better life into existence, and the evolutionary progress of society depends upon it.” – John Dewey.
 |
| ABDINUR MOHAMUD |
by ABDINUR MOHAMUD
With the fall of the
central government of Somalia in 1991 and the ensuing struggle for power and
resources, education like other sectors of the Somali economy came to a
standstill. As most schools closed doors and educational properties were looted
or destroyed during the mayhem, many teachers, educators and students fled the
country seeking refuge outside of Somalia. Many who could not afford the long
journey relocated internally to relatively safer areas as internally displaced
persons (IDP’s).
As a consequence, there are
very few publicly owned and funded educational institutions that remain fully
functioning in the politically fragile Somalia today. The Somali Ministry of
Education, for example, oversees a handful of schools under its stewardship,
with funding support coming from international non-governmental organizations.
Publicly supported
educational systems of the past with centralized curriculum, assessment and
standardized systems of teaching and learning have been completely replaced by
privately-run and fragmented school systems. Unlike publicly funded education
systems, most private schools levy tuition fees from students, utilize foreign
curricula and generally use languages other than Somali as the medium of
instruction.
 |
| Primary school students in class. Photo: Courtesy of Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education, Somalia |
Even though the military
government of 1969–1991 instituted compulsory education polices, adopted a
uniform curriculum throughout the country and ensured the centrality of the
Somali as the preeminent language of instruction in primary and secondary
schools – all elements that led to massive school enrollment and literacy
expansion – education after the fall of the state became rudimentary,
emergency-based and where available, prohibitively expensive.
Costly private education,
often forcing parents to make the hard choice of who is schooled among their
children, created intolerable gender and income imbalances in the classroom,
especially in the upper secondary and higher education levels. As a
consequence, the gap between school-aged children enrolled in schools and those
deprived of the right to education remains large.
Out of 8,284 school
teachers and administrators surveyed by the Ministry of Education in 2011, only
1,197 are women, making the ratio of male school staff to females in that study
a dismal 8 to 1. In higher education the ratio gets worse with 10 male teachers
to 1 female teacher. Gender inequalities are found throughout the education
system of Somalia with the highest incidence being in the teaching force.
Even though article 26 of
the UN declaration of human rights proclaims that education is a human right,
more Somali children remain unschooled, illiterate and unsafe. As a
consequence, Somalia remains at the bottom of most international human
development indices and lacks the capacity to make tangible progress towards
the critical Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s).
To clearly understand the
prevailing condition of education today and the stages of educational
development, one needs to retrace the social, cultural and historical contexts
in which the formal education system and its inherent politics came about. It
is the purpose of this article to shed light on these complex issues that are
at the core of the current negative educational trends in Somalia and to lay
the foundation for policymakers to reverse these trends through comprehensive
education policy.
The role of education in
society
It is widely believed that
education is primarily identified with formal schooling, though in theory it
goes far beyond, extending to the realm of informal, non-formal and lifelong
learning. A comprehensive analysis of education may include concern for the
intellectual, social and human development. In many communities and nations
education has been particularly significant as an instrument of public policy,
in the sense that it not only advances the overall human conditions but also
becomes the vehicle in which national agenda intended to resolve societal
problems is delivered.
Therefore, the main
objective for providing basic education to the masses is generally a national
pursuit of achieving equality among its citizens and the development of an
educated labor force and citizenry necessary for a stable system of governance.
Public Education has been and continues to be used in many societies as a tool
for social change imparting desired values, norms, attitudes and skill-sets
necessary to meet the national priorities and to enhance national development.
In fragile states such as
Somalia, where the “public” is taken out of education, and the role of the
state as a policymaker is contested, private education keeps the education
system going albeit fragmented and at a heavier cost to large segments of
society. However, it is not an overstatement to underscore that private
education is uniquely incapable of achieving the noble aim of educating the
masses and to effectively replace the critical role of publicly provided
education. In that sense, a public education system which responds to existing
societal needs under either a national platform or a non-political arrangement
is essential and best suited to articulate comprehensive national education
needs with the potential to seriously reverse current negative educational
trends.
It is widely known that the
prolonged political conflict of the past two decades effectively divided
Somalia into three or four distinct political and social communities such as
Northeast, Northwest and Galmudug zones, all the while effectively reducing
government controlled areas into the “South-central” zone.
Auspiciously, each zone has
a designated ministry responsible for education, and considers itself separate
and distinct with little collaboration from the others. Ironically, a handful
of educational umbrella organizations that tacitly cross all existing political
boundaries practically manage and run schools throughout the country. However,
their success depends on their ability to maintain political neutrality, their
acumen to recruit locally and their support of the local political agenda.
Currently, Somalia has one
of the world’s lowest enrollment rates for primary school-aged children
estimated at 42 per cent. Of those attending schools only 36 per cent are
girls. The number of out-of-school and at risk children and youth aged between
6–18 years has been estimated at 4.4 million, out of a total population of 9.2
million. Out of every 10 school-aged children in Somalia 6 of them are not in
school. UNICEF’s 1998 “State of the World’s Children” reports that
literacy rates for men and women in Somalia were at 36 per cent and 14 per cent
respectively.
The following table shows
enrollment disparities that highlight existing barriers to education at all
levels.
Net attendance rate (%)
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Urban
|
Rural
|
Richest
|
Poorest
|
Primary school NAR
|
23.0
|
25.1
|
20.8
|
41.1
|
12.1
|
53.2
|
4.5
|
Secondary school NAR
|
6.8
|
9.1
|
4.5
|
13.6
|
1.3
|
21.3
|
0.3
|
Gross attendance rate (%)
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Urban
|
Rural
|
Richest
|
Poorest
|
Primary school GAR
|
33.4
|
37.5
|
29.1
|
60.1
|
17.3
|
77.0
|
6.2
|
Secondary school GAR
|
13.2
|
18.1
|
8.3
|
26.0
|
3.0
|
38.1
|
1.0
|
Primary age in school (%)
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Urban
|
Rural
|
Richest
|
Poorest
|
Primary school
|
22.6
|
24.7
|
20.4
|
40.4
|
11.9
|
52.1
|
4.3
|
Secondary school
|
0.4
|
0.4
|
0.4
|
0.6
|
0.2
|
1.0
|
0.1
|
Preschool
|
0.5
|
0.4
|
0.7
|
0.8
|
0.3
|
0.7
|
0.1
|
Non-formal education
|
31.5
|
37.7
|
25.1
|
34.4
|
29.8
|
31.4
|
26.6
|
Secondary age in school
(%)
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Urban
|
Rural
|
Richest
|
Poorest
|
Secondary school
|
6.5
|
8.7
|
4.3
|
13.1
|
1.2
|
20.5
|
0.1
|
Higher education
|
0.3
|
0.3
|
0.2
|
0.4
|
0.1
|
0.8
|
0.2
|
Primary school
|
19.4
|
23.1
|
15.7
|
30.8
|
10.2
|
35.6
|
3.5
|
Preschool
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
Non-formal education
|
15.2
|
19.2
|
11.2
|
12.4
|
17.4
|
10.7
|
17.7
|
Entrance and transition
(%)
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Urban
|
Rural
|
Richest
|
Poorest
|
Primary net intake rate
|
4.0
|
5.1
|
2.9
|
7.4
|
2.2
|
10.7
|
1.0
|
Primary gross intake rate
|
25.4
|
26.6
|
24.1
|
39.6
|
17.7
|
35.5
|
11.3
|
Primary entrants with
ECCE
|
14.9
|
14.9
|
14.8
|
21.6
|
6.7
|
32.9
|
0.0
|
Transition rate
prim.-sec.
|
80.3
|
83.9
|
73.9
|
82.7
|
52.4
|
86.7
|
|
Repetition and completion
(%)
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Urban
|
Rural
|
Richest
|
Poorest
|
Primary repetition rate
|
2.2
|
1.9
|
2.6
|
1.5
|
3.9
|
1.8
|
6.3
|
Primary dropout rate
|
2.3
|
2.0
|
2.7
|
1.5
|
4.2
|
1.1
|
9.0
|
Secondary repetition rate
|
2.6
|
2.2
|
3.3
|
1.2
|
12.0
|
1.0
|
86.3
|
Secondary dropout rate
|
2.7
|
3.1
|
1.8
|
2.6
|
3.1
|
3.2
|
0.0
|
Survival rate to grade 5
|
91.6
|
93.6
|
88.8
|
96.9
|
80.7
|
96.6
|
80.0
|
Survival rate to last
prim. grade
|
85.0
|
86.1
|
83.3
|
91.3
|
70.8
|
92.1
|
62.7
|
Primary school NAR: children of primary school age in primary school or higher. Secondary school NAR: children of secondary school age in secondary school or higher.
Table 1. Student
Enrollment Data (UNICEF – Education
Statistics: Somalia)
|
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To reverse these
educational realities, Somalia needs the development of a socially responsible
educational curriculum organized around a national authority or a
non-political educational consortium (if national authority continues to
be contested) that will lead to the development of a more standardized,
coherent and relevant education system that ensures the academic and career
preparation of future generations.
Access to relevant basic
education is not only a right, but is recognized as an indication of poverty
reduction and potential decrease in child labor. A basic reading skill of a
school graduate, for example, often guarantees opportunities for many people to
be lifted out of poverty and into an independent living. Thus, public education
is critical in the promotion of universal values, peaceful coexistence and
human development.
While globally seventy per
cent of children not enrolled in primary and secondary schools live in
sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, failed states such as Somalia face
disproportionately greater challenges in the provision of equal access to basic
education. In addition, the global financial crisis has put developing countries
under pressure to reduce public spending, and development aid commitment from
rich countries continues to fall short. A review of Somalia’s educational past
will help shed some light on the magnitude of the challenges facing the nation
and offer strategies for future resolution.
The foundational Qur’anic
school
Education has been an
important aspect of the Somali national consciousness before the advent of
Western colonial systems. Teaching and learning centers could be found in
settled communities throughout the coast of Somalia. Even though informal and
non-formal patterns of education including apprenticeship training of trade,
fishery, commerce, poetry and other craftsmanship were commonplace in the
region, Islam provided the first structured formal schooling program. Teachers
trained in the Qur’an and methods of recitation and memorization were trained
in places as far as Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia among other centers of
learning in the Middle East.
With the establishment of
Qur’anic schools throughout the Somali inhabited communities in the Horn, it
became necessary for the Arabic alphabet and the basic grammar of the Qur’an to
be transliterated into the native tongue to allow for the non-Arabic speaking
Somali learners easy access to the reading, writing and memorization of the
Qur’an. Qur’anic schools then and now remain outside of the national education
agenda and are mostly left in the domain of parents and communities. Qura’nic
schools generally stress on the development of literacy skills in Arabic as
well as rote memorization for pupils aged 3–15, while few of these schools
provide training in arithmetic and character education programs.
 |
| Qur'anic school students in session. Photo: Abdinur Mohamud's archive |
Somalia being a nation of
poets with strong oral tradition, the focus of memorization of Qur’anic schools
came in handy to a society that is adept in all forms of rhythmic language and
poetic recitation. It was not until the return of a Somali scholar from Arabia
by the name of Sheikh Yusuf
Al-Kowneyn, that a successful attempt was made to transliterate the Arabic
alphabet and grammar into Somali, which led to the opening of the gates of
Qur’anic education to the masses. With the new transliteration, many Somalis
jubilantly gained full access to the syntax and basic morphology of the Qur’an.
This necessary innovation therefore helped transform religious learning in
Somalia and provided new educational opportunities to the masses.
The transliteration method
of the Sheikh continues to be utilized to this day wherever a Somali-style
Qur’anic school is offered. Moreover, Qur’anic schools and adult learning centers
that offer programs in Arabic, Islamic history and Jurisprudence remained as
the only centers of formal teaching and learning until the advent of Western
colonial administrations of the early 20th century. Young and adult Somalis are
known to have travelled long distances in the pursuit of furthering religious
knowledge to centers of higher learning in places such as Mecca, Medina, Cairo,
and as far as Bagdad in Iraq.
Qur’anic schools have
seldom been incorporated into the national education systems mainly because of
the fear of government interference in what many proponents view as belonging
in the realm of the family and community. Ironically, most if not all Somali
children go through Qur’anic schools before and during their enrollment in
primary schools. However, little structural and pedagogical progress has been
made in improving the tools, methods and the overall quality of teaching and
learning. In essence, contemporary Qur’anic schools are not markedly different
in style, method and substance from the ones erected by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Kowneyn
a century earlier.
Efforts by the British
administration to train Qur’anic school teachers in the North while paying
their salaries in return for expanding curriculum offerings with literacy and
numeracy courses were not successful. Even as recent as 1994 UNICEF initiatives
to expand access to public education by assisting some 400 primary and Qur’anic
schools benefiting 110,000 children faced huge barriers. Very few, if any,
Qur’anic schools, today offer literacy and numeracy programs in either Arabic
or in the native language, as part of their educational mandate.
Ironically, the role of
Qur’anic schools in the acquisition of knowledge in Somali society is
undeniable and its direct influence on literacy development is not at all
disputed. However, governmental and non-governmental support for Qur’anic
schools remains absent, even though observers note that Somali children who
attend these schools tend to pick up learning at the formal schools much faster
than their peers.
Recently, a group of
educators meeting at a national education conference in Mogadishu recommended
that Qur’anic education be made part of the national education system,
receiving unequivocal support from the Federal Government of Somalia. Even
though this is seen as a positive development expanding educational
opportunities for many Somalis, it remains to be seen when it is implemented.
The birth of the formal
school
The introduction of the
modern school began with the arrival of the colonial administration. Unlike
Qur’anic schools, government sponsored formal schools were instituted in urban
centers in close proximity to colonial rulers. These schools echoed the single
classroom schools of the West taught by a single classroom teacher.
The modern school
curriculum began with basic literacy in Arabic, Italian or English and numeracy
courses sufficient to meet the clerical demands of the colonial
administrations. Islamic studies and Arabic were weaved into the curriculum to
not only respond to the demands of the populace to enhance their acquisition of
religious knowledge but to curb the widespread perception that a hidden agenda
of the formal school concept was to discreetly “Westernize” Somali children.
The main perpetrators behind this view were religious clerics who felt
threatened by the expanding influence of formal schools, their unwavering
governmental support and their advanced tools.
Among the first school
teachers who led the new model of education were Somali students returning from
Aden (Yemen) and Khartoum (Sudan) schools seeking to advance education in their
homeland. Chief among them were Moallim Jama Bilal and Mohamud Ahmed Ali, who both later became
vanguards and fathers of Somali education. These two educators advocated for
the expansion and construction of formal schools throughout the country,
trained new teachers and rejected calls by detractors to dissuade the public
from what they termed as schools of Westernization.
Incidentally, the language
of instruction in formal schools in the South was Italian, due to the Italian
colonial influence and Arabic, while the British colonial administration
naturally advocated for the use of English and Arabic in the North. Arabic
being the language of the religion adhered to by the Somali population was
already commonly used throughout the country and is now integrated into the
official national curriculum.
Regrettably, the native
tongue –Somali – was not considered as a medium of learning at the time since
it only existed in spoken form and thus lacked the basic functional script to
enhance its potential. However, silent versions of the Somali script using
Arabic alphabet, Latin and a local variety known as Osmania named after its
author Osman Yusuf
Kenadidwere all used sporadically, but did not gain national following.
As many graduates of the
formal schools joined civil service and administration of the government during
independence in 1960, the role of the school as an agent of modernization and a
pathway out of poverty enhanced the appeal of the formal school to the masses.
In comparison with other African states, the Somali national budget on
education at the dawn of independence was not on par with neighboring countries
estimated at 7.5 per cent of the Gross National Product (GNP) compared with 18
per cent in Kenya and Tanzania, and 27 per cent in Uganda. Nevertheless, the
foundation for a modern education system in Somalia was definitely
established.
1960
|
1965
|
1970
|
1975
|
1980
|
|
Elementary
|
16,300
|
23,300
|
26,000
|
197,700
|
131,000
|
Intermediate
|
2,800
|
5,600
|
14,800
|
21,800
|
140,000
|
Secondary
|
800
|
1,900
|
5,200
|
7,000
|
24,400
|
Table 2. Enrollment
figures from independence 1960 to 1980 (UNDP 1981).
|
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The new Ministry of
Education in the first independent government of Somalia began a campaign of
extending public education opportunities beyond the urban centers and into the
rural and nomadic areas. Attempts to develop the Somali script were hampered by
bureaucratic squabbles and the Somali language remained un-written until 1972
when a new military regime took power and promised the expansion of public
education. Despite the many detractors of the military regime’s efforts after
1970 to implement in Somalia “scientific socialism” and its harsh political and
social policies, most observers acknowledge that Somali education began to
take-off faster and at a higher pace during this period.
Incidentally, literacy
rates at the time did not exceed 5 per cent of the total adult population and
did not penetrate deep into the nomadic and agrarian communities outside of the
urban centers. However, the military regime began a national literacy campaign
to galvanize public support with the catchy slogan “Bar ama Baro – Teach if you know, Learn if you don’t” thus
requiring the full participation of all citizens.
A seven month literacy
campaign focusing on the art of reading and writing the new script started in
urban centers and transitioned to rural and nomadic areas utilizing school
teachers, administrators, students and other public servants in government to staff
the project. A number of literacy centers were opened throughout the nation
staffed by middle and high school students supervised by their teachers.
Reading and writing programs using the new script were implemented throughout
the country thus expanding literacy development.
At the end of the campaign,
Somali leaders proclaimed a 65 per cent success rate of the project and
promised efforts to sustain the program. As a consequence of the language
development policy success and the public’s desire for learning, a new
compulsory education law was enacted radically increasing primary school
enrollments from around 40,000 pupils in 1970 to nearly 300,000 pupils in 1979.
While girls’ enrollment in schools was approximately 20 per cent of primary
school students in 1970, that figure expounded to 40 per cent by 1979. In
addition, the percentage of female teachers in primary schools rose from about
10 per cent in 1969 to about 30 per cent in 1979.
Somalia seemed to be on the
right track with the expansion of education, unified curriculum throughout the
country and the use of Somali as the language of instruction in schools and
government administration. Higher education institutions however, continued the
use of foreign languages especially Italian and English due to a lack of
sufficient native faculty as well as difficulty in publishing scientific
textbooks and other educational materials in Somali.
Education during the
military regime (1969–1990) was free and accessible to the masses closer to
urban communities, even though it was not readily available in remote areas.
With the massive recruitment of teachers through a national teacher recruitment
project known as the “primary program”, many middle school graduates and high
school students were trained as primary school teachers to meet the growing
demands of teachers throughout the country. Enrollment gap between boys and
girls was largely reduced while the percentage of female teachers in primary
schools increased significantly.
The declining years
The decade of 1970’s saw
international gas shortages and higher inflation that warranted global economic
decline that negatively affected the education budgets of many developing
countries. International lending agencies such as the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) began to emphasize policies known as
“Structural Adjustment Programs” requiring developing nations’ to balance their
budgets by undertaking austere budgetary measures including the introduction of
school fees.
Declining wages,
skyrocketing food prices and other basic commodities and the undue burden of
additional costs associated with school fees, school uniform and other
educational tools, discouraged many parents to send their children to school or
had to make the difficult choice of deciding who among their children should be
schooled. As a result, the gender gap in education significantly widened as
well as the gap between rich and poor children. Consequently, education was no
longer seen as a way out for many economically disadvantaged communities as
they previously felt and was increasingly considered detrimental to their
survival.
A mass migration of
teachers and other professionals to the oil rich Middle East propelled the
decline of the quality teaching and learning in Somalia. Teachers' absences
were common and widespread at the time with little supervision from educational
authorities.
A 1989 ILO report indicates
that although primary school grades provided a number of literate
school-leavers, its main goal was to act as a preparatory stage for secondary
education. However, a sizeable number of primary school graduates did not
proceed to secondary education, but became self-employed or began working at a
younger age. These young workers constituted a significant proportion of the labor
force employed outside the modern sector.
As for the secondary school
graduates, the same trends were observable. Out of 16,153 high school students
enrolled for the 1984–1985 school year, only 703 graduates transitioned into
the Somali National University, the only major university in the country. The
quality of higher education declined due to inadequate funding, declining
overall quality of life, as well as the harsh policies of the military regime.
Prior to the civil war,
average life expectancy was 43 years and the mortality rate for children under
five about 25 per cent. Somalia already had one of the lowest adult literacy
rates in the world before the advent of the war, a situation that was further
exacerbated by the continued instability.
Post-civil war education
The Somali education sector
can be summarized as one of the few surviving sectors in the Somali national
economy. Unlike health, transportation, and other public sectors, the survival
of the education sector came out of a desire of the populace to continue
educating their children during tumultuous times. The Somali private sector
historically played a significant role in providing basic and adult education
services when it controlled over fifty percent of educational services at the
dawn of independence, but lost its edge during the civilian and military
administrations when private enterprise was categorically suppressed and
emphasis was placed on the construction of a sound public infrastructure.
A 1978 World Bank study
described Somalia’s renewed focus on public infrastructure as follows:
“Since 1970 the Government has adhered to a program of "scientific socialism", emphasizing egalitarianism and social justice, development through the public sector, nationalization of certain foreign enterprises, and the formation of cooperatives. While the Government has always stated that there is room for private initiative in Somalia and several privately financed projects have been implemented, the main emphasis has been given to development of the public sector. The Government's development efforts have been characterized by austerity and self-reliance.”
“Since 1970 the Government has adhered to a program of "scientific socialism", emphasizing egalitarianism and social justice, development through the public sector, nationalization of certain foreign enterprises, and the formation of cooperatives. While the Government has always stated that there is room for private initiative in Somalia and several privately financed projects have been implemented, the main emphasis has been given to development of the public sector. The Government's development efforts have been characterized by austerity and self-reliance.”
With the fall of the
central authority in 1991 and the abdication of its central mission, former
school teachers, local businesses and other educators took it upon themselves
to resuscitate and jump start the educational system by establishing small
scale private schools to meet educational needs on a temporary basis. These
were later expanded and linked through umbrella organizations that eventually replaced
the role of public education and often acted as a natural substitute of the
state.
These efforts produced
several umbrella organizations that continue to provide primary and secondary
education services throughout the country with a capacity for curricular
development, assessment and teacher training. As of school year 2010–2011,
umbrella education organizations served over 210,000 primary and secondary
school students attending over 845 schools.
 |
| Table 3. Student enrollment figures by zone (UNDP 2007). |
In addition to school fees,
umbrella organizations receive additional funding from international
non-governmental organizations (INGO’s) who are unable to provide direct
services themselves due to security concerns. Islamic charitable organizations,
on the other hand, gained a foothold in Somalia during the civil war when
Western NGO’s relocated outside of Somalia.
Among the significant
projects of Islamic NGO’s include the development of a “national” curriculum
that encompassed elements from the various regional curricula such as Kenya,
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt. Although the language of instruction remains
Arabic for the humanities and English for scientific subjects, the Somali
language is commonly used by teachers as a supplement to allow for better
communication with students. Irrespective of political considerations Somali
high school graduates seek opportunities for higher education throughout the
country if opportunities for foreign scholarships become limited.
That being the case, there
is little evidence of policy collaboration and coordination between the Somali
Federal Ministry of Education and other regional education authorities as a
consequence of languishing social and political differences and the absence of
genuine national reconciliation. As a result, the quality of education, teacher
training, rigor of the curriculum and the academic preparation of school
leavers throughout the country varies, making it impossible to compare and
contrast quality of education provided throughout the country.
In addition, the curriculum
provided is less capable of social transformation in the sense that it does not
reflect the immediate needs and demands of daily life, be it nomadic, farming
or urban communities. This is because the curriculum offered is bereft of
critical stakeholder input and generally lacks relevant material geared towards
community development in agriculture, health, fishery, commerce and other
skills that can immediately contribute to the overall well-being of society.
Glaringly absent from the curriculum also are civics and peace education
programs that strengthen student behavior, enhance social cohesion, and improve
citizenship and the development of national identity.
Quality and relevancy of
education
In defining quality
education, a UNICEF study published in 2000 highlights the focus of “learning which strengthens the capacities of children to
act progressively on their own behalf through the acquisition of relevant
knowledge, useful skills and appropriate attitudes; and which creates for
children, and helps them create for themselves and others, places of safety,
security and healthy interaction”.
The quality of education
currently provided throughout Somalia seems to require long-term vision that
can articulate comprehensive education policy that is relevant to the lives and
modes of development of the Somali people and that can guarantee a better
future for the Somali society. Unfortunately, the current political climate has
made it virtually impossible for this to occur and any attempt to do so is seen
by some as detrimental to their social and political ideals.
 |
| The author overseeing qualifying exams for scholarships. Photo: Courtesy of Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education, Somalia |
Ironically, the varieties
of curricula in use in most Somali schools were intended for the growth and
development of children in other societies. They lack the unique historical,
cultural, linguistic, civic, religious and other values that shape the Somali
society which are critical to the development of future Somali society.
Currently, medium of
instruction in schools depend on the type of school and its source of funding.
Absence of governmental regulations and oversight causes school systems to
differ in the annual school calendar, length of the school year, summer period
in which schools are closed, the quality of textbooks, teachers, and school
leaving certificates as well as rigor of program. Consequently, no two school
systems are comparable in their academic standing, the quality of their
teachers as well as the level of college or career readiness of their graduates.
Therefore, these conditions forced some foreign educational institutions to
question the authenticity of the educational certificates issued throughout
Somalia, the academic preparedness of Somali students seeking foreign college
admission and their potential to succeed in rigorous academic environments.
In summary, the absence of
a nationally articulated vision and philosophy of education in which the
education sector, both public and private, can coalesce around and collectively
promote, inhibits the potential of education to lay a strong foundation for a
better future and transform Somali society.
Conclusion and
recommendations
“Somalia
is not in need of one leader, but many leaders in all walks of life” – Mohamud
Ahmed Ali (father of Somali Education).
It has been more than two
decades since Somalia had a functioning state that visibly articulated a long
term vision for national education. A generation of Somali children has either
been lost to war or is under-educated and unemployable. A coherent national
system of education is necessary and critical, if Somalia is to recover from
decades of low quality education provided on an emergency-basis and supported
from the outside.
Among the critical things
the Federal Government of Somalia needs to undertake is the implementation of
the educational declaration that came out of the national education conference
held in Mogadishu under the auspices of UNESCO and UNICEF in June 18–21, 2013
which will significantly overhaul the education system with the goal of working
towards if not attaining the noble aims of the Millennium Development Goals set
to expire in 2015.
Among landmark national
education legislation necessary to be enacted are: compulsory education law,
right to education for all, provision of free and affordable education,
education for the disabled, literacy education for children and adults and
equal access to educational opportunities for both boys and girls. As the 40th
anniversary of the landmark Somali literacy campaign approaches in the year 2014–2015,
Somali authorities should take advantage of this national memorial and expand
literacy and numeracy opportunities throughout the country.
With the absence of an
authentic national political settlement between the Somali people, and an
effective national authority that practically governs throughout the country,
the Somali people will continue to be deprived of a transformative, high
quality and relevant education, while many young children and youth will
continue to remain illiterate, unschooled and possibly a threat to themselves
and others. Unfortunately, many of these unschooled youth currently seek
illusive power, attention and prestige from extremist groups, essentially
becoming their foot soldiers.
A free and accessible basic
education system with a comprehensive national curriculum that is relevant to
the lives of all Somalis is urgently needed, if education is to uplift and
improve the quality of life and guarantee a better future for everyone.
Moreover, the Federal Government of Somalia and regional educational
authorities must keep politics out of education and collaborate in order to
devise a national education framework that allows for the development of a
quality and relevant education for all that will lead to better curricular
comparability, national authentication and certification in all levels of
education.
Abdinur
Mohamud, Ph.D.
The
author is an Educational Consultant with the Ohio Department of Education, a
former Somalia Minister of Education (2010–2011) and the former Chairman of the
Somali Studies International Association.
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Source: afrikansarvi.fi
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