One Sector, Many Systems: An Overview of the Status of Somalia’s Education Sector

Historically, and more so in the pre-1991 era, Somalia had vibrant educational institutions under the control of the national government with almost everything— educational infrastructure such as buildings, teaching, and learning materials as well quality teachers/lecturers all anchored on internationally-accepted standards set by the Ministry of Education. There were regular monitoring and evaluation exercises. All government regulatory and control mechanisms were in place to ensure adherence to government policies, and education was free. Since the collapse of state institutions in early 1991, private entrepreneurs have taken over the country’s educational system and have worked hard to revive the sector. One major concern, however, is that the focus has been on access to educational opportunities rather than other equally important issues such as quality, pathways, and post-conflict orientation in terms of building the necessary pillars for a country like Somalia. This article aims to examine and provide an overview of the current situation of the education sector in Somalia, a crucial sector with many systems; mainly some of the critical challenges facing the sector, achievements to date, existing opportunities and aspirations of the Somali people, the link with research, policy issues in the education sector, the role of Somali cultural values, and policy recommendations around these issues.