The Somalia Country Case Study. Mid-Decade Review of Progress towards Education for All.

Overview & Synopsis

In 1995, the International Consultative Forum on Education for All commissioned case studies in developing countries as part of a mid-decade review of progress in expanding access to basic education. This paper examines the situation in Somalia, where civil war has completely destroyed the infrastructure of education. Part 1 summarizes Somalia's political history, leading to government collapse and interclan warfare in 1991; the history of traditional, Islamic, and colonial education in Somalia; and educational needs in the early 1990s. Part 2 describes efforts of United Nations agencies and nongovernmental organizations to coordinate provision of educational funding, materials, and technical assistance, and depicts the educational situation in each of Somalia's geographical zones. Part 3 critically analyzes the problems involved in the educational process, given the Somali crisis, examining efforts and needs in the areas of the Education for All initiative, the organization of education, curriculum development, teacher education, and community participation. This section also discusses the challenge of retaining girls in school after grade 3, the important role of community Koranic schools and Islamic schools, education of nomads (a large proportion of the population), emergence of voluntary women's educational associations, lack of vocational and higher education, and provision of education in refugee camps. Part 4 summarizes study findings and makes recommendations in each of the areas covered in Part 3. (SV)