Recommendations to Strengthen Inclusion, Quality, and Learner-Centered Education in Somalia’s National Curriculum Review Committee

Somalia’s Education Sector Strategic Plan 2022–2026 already identifies access, quality, equity, governance, and ICT literacy as key priorities for strengthening the education sector. The Ministry also states its commitment to accessible and quality education for Somali learners. However, many Somali children still face serious barriers to learning, including poverty, displacement, insecurity, gender inequality, disability-related exclusion, weak school resources, and limited teacher capacity. UNICEF reported in 2025 that only one in three Somali children is enrolled in primary school, many children are over-age for their grade, and gender gaps remain significant in both primary and secondary education. And the minister of the Ministry of Education informed an interview, saying “60% of Somali Children are out of school,” which is surprisingly unfortunate.

I respectfully recommend that the National Curriculum Review Committee should give strong attention to the following areas:

1. Make Inclusion a Foundation of the Curriculum

The reviewed curriculum should serve all learners, including girls, children with disabilities, children from rural areas, IDPs, nomadic communities, minority groups, and children affected by poverty or conflict. Inclusive education means creating systems and environments where all students have equal access to education and learning.

Currently, there is a severe gap in curriculum provisions for children with disabilities in Somalia. Students with physical, sensory, cognitive, or learning disabilities often face exclusion from mainstream education due to inadequate infrastructure, inaccessible learning materials, and lack of teacher training in special education needs. The Ministry must ensure that the new curriculum addresses the unique needs of students with disabilities, including accessible learning materials, assistive technologies, and inclusive teaching strategies.

2. Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning

Curriculum reform will not succeed without strong teachers. The Ministry should connect the curriculum review with teacher training, continuous professional development, classroom observation, mentoring, and practical teaching guides.

Teachers should be trained not only to deliver content, but also to use child-centered methods, encourage questions, support weak learners, and create active classrooms.

3. Make Learning Enjoyable, Creative, and Practical

Many students lose interest when learning is based only on memorization. The new curriculum should make learning more enjoyable through storytelling, group work, experiments, games, debates, local examples, arts, sports, problem-solving, and project-based learning.

A child should not only memorize lessons. A child should understand, ask questions, create ideas, and connect learning with real life.

4. Strengthen Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

The curriculum should prioritize reading, writing, comprehension, numeracy, and critical thinking in the early grades. Without strong foundational skills, learners struggle in all later subjects.

Special attention should be given to children who are behind their grade level, including remedial learning, accelerated learning, and teaching at the right level.

5. Reflect Somali Identity, Culture, Peace, and Citizenship

The curriculum should promote Somali culture, history, language, values, peacebuilding, social responsibility, and national unity. Education should help learners become responsible citizens who can contribute to Somalia’s reconstruction and development.

6. Include Life Skills and Future Skills

Somalia’s curriculum should prepare learners for the modern world. It should include digital literacy, entrepreneurship, communication skills, financial literacy, climate awareness, civic education, problem-solving, creativity, and career readiness.

This aligns with the current national education discussion, where Somalia’s leadership has emphasized the need for an education system that responds to knowledge and skills demands.

7. Review Textbooks for Inclusiveness and Relevance

Textbooks should represent Somali children from different regions, backgrounds, abilities, and genders. Girls should appear as leaders, scientists, teachers, doctors, engineers, and innovators. Children with disabilities should also be represented positively.

The content should avoid stereotypes and should use examples that are familiar to Somali learners.

8. Involve Teachers, Parents, Students, and Communities

Curriculum review should not be done only by technical experts. Teachers, students, parents, school leaders, disability advocates, youth representatives, women’s groups, private schools, Quranic education representatives, and civil society organizations should be consulted.

The people who experience the education system every day must have a voice in shaping it.

9. Pilot the Revised Curriculum Before National Implementation

Before full implementation, the revised curriculum should be tested in selected schools across different regions, including urban, rural, IDP, public, private, and low-resource schools. Feedback from teachers and learners should be used to improve the curriculum before national rollout.

10. Build Accountability and Regular Review Mechanisms

Curriculum reform should include clear indicators, monitoring tools, and regular review. The Ministry should measure whether the new curriculum improves learning outcomes, inclusion, teacher performance, student attendance, and learner engagement.

11. Integrate Extracurricular Activities to Foster Potential

To truly nurture the potential of Somali youth, the curriculum should include structured extracurricular activities that foster leadership, creativity, teamwork, and emotional well-being. These activities should involve arts, sports, drama, community service, and environmental education. It’s important to allow students to develop beyond academics, where they can cultivate resilience, collaboration, and innovation.

12. Emphasize Practical Skills and Vocational Training

Somalia’s youth, especially in rural areas and IDP communities, often face limited access to traditional academic education. The curriculum should integrate vocational training and practical skills such as carpentry, agriculture, technology, and entrepreneurship. These skills will not only help students find employment, but also tap into the immense potential of Somalia’s local resources and industries.

13. Promote Community Engagement and Local Solutions

The curriculum should encourage students to engage with their local communities through community-based learning and projects. Somalia has a rich tradition of resilience, and education should teach students to create solutions to local challenges, such as water access, agriculture, climate change, and sustainable development.

14. Inspire the Utilization of Somalia’s Resources for National Development

Somalia is endowed with a wealth of natural, cultural, and human resources that can be harnessed for the nation's progress. The revised curriculum should inspire students to explore how these resources can be effectively utilized to contribute to both local and national development.

The curriculum should integrate practical lessons on how to leverage Somalia’s agricultural potential, natural resources, and traditional industries for sustainable economic growth. By incorporating hands-on projects that connect students with their local environment, we can foster innovation and a sense of ownership in students, encouraging them to become leaders in addressing local and national challenges. Teaching students about the value of Somalia's resources will not only empower them with practical skills but also instill a sense of pride and responsibility towards their country’s future.

 

 

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