For the first time in more than 20 years, the education of Somali children and youth has become a key priority. The education authorities in Somalia are working closely together to send a million children to school in the following years. The current government has pledged to provide the funding needed to rebuild the education system to give enough education to our people. We can create United communities that can take part in the development of our country. To reach this goal, the government has committed to allocate the education budget, which is equivalent to the budget for security and defense. The education conference was organized by the Ministry of Human Development and public services and supported by UNESCO and UNICEF. It brought together Somali education experts, policymakers, planners, academics, NGOs, international partners, and members of civil society; to build an inclusive education system that would respond to the needs of Somali youth sitting together and jointly looking at what are the priorities and, of course, the whole planning the whole idea of this came from the government.
So, education is important from different aspects; it is directly related to building the human capital that Somalia needs, but it also plays a significant role in peacebuilding, bringing stability again. Today we heard from different speakers that it has a unifying role; it can bridge and bring everyone together; only four out of ten Somali children currently attend school, one of the lowest enrollment rates in the world. A robust education system will empower young Somalis to participate in reconstructing their country and working towards a peaceful future. Moreover, it can offer education that is accessible to everybody and which is free of charge.
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This is so amazing! I absolutely cannot wait for studies on this to see how these changes have fared, and the impact they have on society. I feel like one country's initiative may slowly change the world. I have some questions - is the curriculum based on certain standards which ensures it is of high quality? Will all schools be taught based on the same curriculum? If you know this based on the research you did, please let me know!
Education is definitely a necessity for peace-building and promoting tolerance within the society. While Somalia has taken this initiative, it should also put in place contingency plans that makes education secure even during times of conflict. Other countries under conflict should take Somalia's example and also work on improving the accessibility of education. I think that even during times of conflict, governments should not completely abandon education, because it is through education that they will be able to normalize situations and improve their conditions.
Education can really be the stepping stone towards the development of developing countries like Somalia and even Pakistan.