Somalia

The real move for modern secular education in Somalia came with a U.N. mandate in 1950. Article four of the trusteeship agreement stipulated that Britain and Italy must establish a formal educational system that would prepare the Somalis for independence in 10 years. Education was recognized as a base upon which to build the future Somali society. It stated:

The Administering Authority, recognizing the fact that education in its broadest sense is the only sure foundation on which any moral, social, political, and economic advancement of the inhabitants of the Territory can be based, and believing that national independence with due respect for freedom and democracy can only be established on this basis, undertakes to establish a sound and effective system of education, with due regard to Islamic culture and religion. The Administering Authority therefore undertakes to establish as rapidly as possible a system of public education which shall include elementary, secondary, vocational (including institutions for the training of teachers), and technical schools, to provide free of charge at least elementary education, and to facilitate higher and professional education and cultural advancement in every possible way. (qtd. in Laitin 65-66)

The agreement, in addition to encouraging the creation of primary, secondary, and vocational schools, mandated that the authorities establish teacher-training institutions to train nationals who would teach in the schools. It further advocated the facilitation of higher and professional education by sending an adequate number of university students to study abroad. Britain and Italy made haphazard efforts to honor the agreement. At independence, most Somalis were still illiterate, and not every child had the opportunity to attend school.

Independence brought significant reforms to the educational system. Education became the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, under the secretary of state for education. The ministry aimed at enhancing the quality of education by improving the curricula and providing a uniform educational system throughout the republic. Of prime importance was developing a single language of education for the country. In 1970, Somalia was declared a "Socialist state" after a military takeover. The Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) outlined new goals for education. Among these were expanding access to education, reduction of illiteracy, promotion of technical studies, increase in female enrollment, and the introduction of a Somali-oriented curriculum. The first charter of the Revolution, however, was to make the Somali language written and then adopted as the language of education and official business. This was achieved in 1972, and accelerated efforts were made to modify the educational system to meet governmental policies. All schools, including private, were brought under the administration of the government. Qu'ranic schools were phased out, and Islamic instruction became part of public education. Many elementary, secondary, and vocational schools were built to increase access to education. In 1975 the government established free, universal, primary education. The University Institute in Mogadishu became the Somali National University in 1971. The Ministry of Higher Education and Culture was created to administer the school. Before the war broke out, the University, although plagued by a high dropout rate, had a population of about 5,000 students.