New government instills renewed momentum for education in Somalia

Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991, Somalia has suffered from years of prolonged conflict, piracy, and inability to deal with cyclical famine. More than 75% of pre-existing public schools were destroyed and closed. Due to the complex and uncertain nature of Somalia’s political and social context, interventions in the education sector have been limited and fraught with difficulties.

With a new elected president in place, a new government and renewed engagement from the international community there seems to be real momentum for Somalia. There is finally a strong sense of, and commitment to improve the quality of education, but moreover building a consensus-based nation anchored by sustainable development.

Political transition brings new optimism and expectations

I recently visited Mogadishu, the largest city in Somalia and also the nation’s capital. Accompanied by colleagues from the EU and UNICEF, we met with Ministry of Human Development and Public Services and more notably, the Directorate of Education. During the meetings, the Director General explained the Government’s choice to focus mainly on teachers, their salaries and training and developing a teacher management system, in addition to some construction projects and ensuring a focus on quality control.

The restoration of quality education is high on the political agenda for the Federal Government of Somalia. The current political transition brings new optimism and expectations. Puntland and Somaliland have already been developing transitional Education Sector Strategy Plans and in May 2013 the GPE Board approved Program Implementation Grants for Puntland (US$ 2.1 million) and for Somaliland (US$ 4.2 million).

Progress under new leadership

The top priority for the Directorate is to get ‘as many children into basic education as quickly as possible and to restore the functioning of the Directorate’. For South Central Somalia, progress is also being made through the Directorate of Education (DoE) under the leadership of Maryan Qasim, Minister of Human Development and Public Services. The Local Education Group is working with her to finalize the Education Sector Strategic Plan for the region.

This will require strong coordination and harmonization among the development partners currently engaged in supporting the provision of equitable, quality basic education in Somalia. The GPE processes and financial support can play a catalyzing role towards this more coordinated, harmonized and focused effort to support the education sector in Somalia.