1. Somalia
The Ministry of Education is officially responsible for education in Somalia, with about 15% of the nation's
budget allocated to scholastic instruction.
 Gross enrolment ratio
Male 49
Female 43
 Net enrolment ratio
Male 44
Female 39
Compulsory education of Somalia is 8 years – 5 years of lover primary and 3 years of upper primary
In order to enter into the secondary educational system of three years, a Certificate of Fundamental Education is required.
Somaliland has become home to many refugees from the southern and central parts of the country as it offers a stable
environment and functioning democracy. There is an estimate that there are at least 300,000 refugees living in Somaliland
and perhaps another 200,000 who have assimilated into the towns and cities. These refugees put a great strain
on health and other public services such as education in Somaliland.
There is a concern that the pupil number may increase dramatically. When Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania introduced
universal primary education, enrolments increased by around 200 per cent. Somaliland may not have the capacity to handle
huge extra numbers and the quality of the education might be affected.
However, despite these concerns, the Somaliland government seems determined to provide universal education so that poor
families can send their children to school.
Increase in demand for education service in areas where there are large number of influxes of people who are internally
displaced, and population flux may cause an acute shortage of teachers.
More and more children are dropping out of school as they see the students who have finished school idling on the street.
Children in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia are able to avoid recruiters from armed group because schools are more
numerous and the city is large enough to make encounters with recruiters less common . However in a place such as a small
town in Gedo , if the child is not in school he would be a prime target for recruitment into armed groups. Children as young
as nine years of age are being used by multiple armed groups across Somalia , and that some schools are being used as
recruitment centers according to a UNICEF statement released in May 2010 .
Only about one in five of primary school age children have a chance of attending school according to the UN Children’s
Fund(UNICEF) School enrolment for girls are much lower than boys. According to the Survey of Primary Schools in
Somalia for 2006-2007 only slightly over one third, or 38 per cent, of pupils are girls. This is due to a combination of
traditional attitudes, timing of classes and economic considerations.
Until the mid-1970s, primary education consisted of four years of elementary school, followed by four years of intermediate
schooling. To move on to the intermediation level children had to take a proficiency exam. However, in 1972, elementary
and intermediate levels were combined to one continuous program. Promotion from elementary to intermediate level
became automatic. Government established free, universal, primary education in 1975 and primary education was reduced
from eight to six years. However, during the 1978-1979 school year, the eight-year primary school system was reintroduced
as the six-year program had proven insufficient . Primary education in Somalia officially starts at the age of six. However,
many children start later.

2. Somalia has been without effective central government for almost two decades. Due to the collapse of the central
government of Somalia in 1911, civil war, and continues foreign intervention, the national institution especially those who
were providing services to our citizen like health, education, water and electricity institutions have destructed. School were
vanished and most of education staffs left the country as refugees. The destruction has affected the economics of the country
both Public and private properties. The country has socially-disorganized and killing, looting and displacement has become
a daily occurrence.
In the northeast and northwest of Somalia, where there has been relative stability, schools have been operating
almost as normal. However in the southern and central regions of the country including the capital the education system has
collapsed. Most schools in south
Schools are accused of being madrasas ( Islamic religious schools ) that educate and produce militant
Insurgents. Schools were considered to be a place which produces terrorists, which is completely wrong. Teachers were
subjected to harassment and arrest as they struggle to protect schools. Schools were searched for weapons by the Somali
government forces.
People in Somalia are forced to flee for refugee because of prolonged armed conflict and also drought continued(has been
continuing?) for two years. .
More than 1.8 million students are not attending school due to droughts and war. An assessment
indicates that estimated 20000 school age children, from urban areas or across the border,
could cause the decrease of primary school enrollment rate which is already only 30 percent.
Communities and teachers started to reopen schools in 1993.
In early 1992, Somali educationalists regrouped again to revive the education sector of the country to provide the education
service.
In 1996 sustainable education system
Education umbrellas, privately owned school, colleges and higher education institutions have been established to
cover the services that the ministry of education was providing to the people before 1991. However, this effort could not
provide quality free education throughout the country.
Government’s aims are to develop education policy, building education structures mainly, schools,
institutes, offices, libraries, and research centers, developing a new curriculum, providing a
course for training teachers, re-organizing examination and certification system, establishing an education
commission at National, Regional and District level, and developing the Somali language and Culture.
During the year 2010-2011, the government has improved the ministry itself, established a new department for EMIS, and
improved its relationship with education umbrellas and privately owned schools.
There have been substantial increases in the number of operational schools and in enrollment rates, but considerable
disparities in the quality of and access to primary education are still problematic in parts of the country
because of the socio-economic, cultural and political realities.
In primary education children learn 9 subjects: Arabic, Islamic studies, Somali, Mathematics (Including business studies),
Science(Biology, Chemistry and Physics), Social studies(history, geography and civics), English, Physical
education and Arts and Crafts. Arabic is taught as a secondary language, and social studies courses were taught using
textbooks that focused on Somali issues .
The first school to train elementary school teachers was built in 1957 in British Somaliland. In 1972, a two-year course for
primary teachers was established at the National Teachers' Education Center. A third school for primary teachers was built
in
1974 in Hargeisa.

3. The ministry of education of the transitional federal government of Somalia opened the first free primary
school in Mogadishu in March 23rd, 2011 after twenty years of collapse in the country.
The school was re-opened and is free school for the Somali children. The ministry will pay the salaries of
the teachers and also the ministry will be responsible for the needs of the school. After the outbreak of
Somalia civil war in 1991, the task of running schools in the country was initially taken by the community
where the students were required ‘Fees’ which many Somalis could not afford to pay.
The number of schools incleased to more than 1100 which was 600 before the gorvenment collapse in 1991.
School Uniforms
All schools shall have specific uniforms at the different level, and there will be laws regulating them.
School time
The school year is composed of 10 months and is starting on September every year ending 15th June. July and August will
the two months of the winter that students will be free to visit their families.
http://www.moesomalia.net/English/admin/images/52.pdf
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39273
http://www.unicefusa.org/news/releases/unicef-education-somalia.html
http://www.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1295999636&user=mb5&page=2
http://ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=43025
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1386/Somalia.html
http://www.wes.org/ca/wedb/somalia/soedov.htm