IRIN: Free Education “Too expensive” For Somaliland.

[Siciid1986]

HARGEISA, 25 January 2011 (IRIN) - The self-declared republic of Somaliland has introduced free education at primary and intermediate levels and doubled teachers' salaries but these decisions will be hard to sustain and could affect the quality of public education, say experts.

 

"We need to ask ourselves, does the Somaliland government have the capacity to handle this [salary] increase? The short answer is ‘no’," Saeed Osman, a Uganda-based researcher in Somaliland's education development, told IRIN.

 

"The Ministry of Education requested the Finance Ministry to recruit 2,000 teachers but the response was that only 1,500 teachers could be recruited," he added. "This shows that Somaliland's government lacks the capacity to handle the increased school enrollment."

 

Somaliland's Finance Minister Mohamed Hashi Elmi announced on 16 January the introduction of free education in primary and intermediate schools. He also increased, by 100 percent, salaries of civil servants, teachers and personnel in the national forces.

 

"We have employed about 1,500 new teachers; for this reason all public primary and intermediate schools will be free of charge," Elmi said.

 

However, education experts say the government's move could damage the quality of public education in Somaliland.

 

"Look at the countries in the region, such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. When they announced universal primary education, school enrollment increased by about 200 percent," Osman said. "A similar increase will happen in Somaliland, can we handle this?

 

"The salary increase announced by the government will not amount to much because a teacher used to earn about US$100-$180 with the parents' support fee included; without the parents' support, a teacher earned $50, so with the new increase, this will come to just $100; this is not adequate if the parents' support fee is withdrawn [as will happen under the free education system]."

 

At least 200,000 students are enrolled in Somaliland's public primary and intermediate schools, according to estimates by the Ministry of Education.

 

Ali Mohamed Ali, the director-general for education in Somaliland, said: "Only 21,639 students in public primary/intermediate schools are currently benefiting from free education; we hope that the newly employed 1,500 teachers will bridge the gap. Somaliland's school enrollment increase is 6 percent annually, we do not anticipate a sharp increase from this."

 

Before the election in June 2010 of President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, Somaliland's annual education budget was 14.6 billion shillings ($2.3 million) out of a $45 million annual budget. However, sources in the Finance Ministry told IRIN this year's education budget was about 35 billion shillings ($5 million) out of the government's $90 million annual budget.

 

"About 90 percent of the increased budget is expected to come from the Inland Revenue," a source in the ministry, who requested anonymity, said.

 

The increased budget has yet to be passed by Somaliland's Council of Ministers and House of Representatives.

 

Welcome move

 

Somaliland has been largely stable since 1991 when it dissolved the union with Somalia and public schools were free until 1994 when civil war broke out with the former Somali National Movement - the liberation movement of Somaliland - between 1981 and 1991. This caused economic hardships for the government, leading to students being charged 15,000 Somaliland shillings ($2.50) each per month since 1995.

 

The increase will boost teachers' livelihoods and encourage them not to seek other jobs

Thousands of children are expected to take advantage of the free primary education. "The programme will give a chance to poor families to send their children to schools even though the yearly school enrollment in public schools was about 6 percent of the total number of students," Ali, the director-general of education, said.

 

Sa'ed Ahmed Khayre, a teacher in Ahmed Dhagah Primary and Intermediate School in Hargeisa, said: "Public school principals used to earn much more than the teachers and we believe that the new salary increase will give us the chance to evaluate the teachers who are doing their jobs well or not.

 

"The increase will boost teachers' livelihoods and encourage them not to seek other jobs; it will improve the quality of public school education because earlier we used to care more for quantity rather than quality."

 

Parents and students have welcomed the government's announcement.

 

"Three of my seven children are in the public schools; I used to worry about their school fees daily because if I don't pay on time, my children get thrown out of school," Nimo Ahmed Nuh, a petty trader in Hargeisa, said. "This [free education] was one of the promises made by KULMIYE [ruling party] during its campaigns last year."

 

Mawlid Mohamed, 16, a student at Sheikh Madar Primary/Intermediate school in Hargeisa, said: "We used to be chased home if our parents didn't pay the school fees on the 25th of every month; now we are glad this will come to an end."

[Jacaylbaro]

"Three of my seven children are in the public schools; I used to worry about their school fees daily because if I don't pay on time, my children get thrown out of school," Nimo Ahmed Nuh, a petty trader in Hargeisa, said. "This [free education] was one of the promises made by KULMIYE [ruling party] during its campaigns last year."

 

Mawlid Mohamed, 16, a student at Sheikh Madar Primary/Intermediate school in Hargeisa, said: "We used to be chased home if our parents didn't pay the school fees on the 25th of every month; now we are glad this will come to an end."

These are our own schools not the UN's. They are not the ones paying for the teachers.

 

This was a positive move but now it is time to focus on the quality as teachers will depend on the gov payment only.

[Thankful]

Siilaanyo is showing his lack of political skill and an inability to grasp how a government should be run. The announcement to pay teaches wages was unrealistic and he should have known better. Then again, people should have called him out when he made this a campaign promise and they should have asked him how he could possible come through on this pledge.

[Jacaylbaro]

^ ^ Says who ??

[Thankful]

Just the humble opinion of a fellow countryman.

[Jacaylbaro]

Thankful ?? ,,, hayaay

[AYOUB]

The "free education" policy won't be easy, but it certainly IS an idea worth giving a shot. The solutions might be for educated Somalilanders to work as volunteer teachers in schools and other short-staffed sectors. Roll-out your sleeves JB, I know you used to a "teacher" in the 80s.

[Jacaylbaro]

waar that was in the 60s but it is not the case now. I'm sure my kids can play that role now

[AYOUB]

I'm sure you can organise something JB! Waa halkii TESCO; "every little helps!"

 

later Inshallah..

[Somalina]

Meesha shaqo ma u doontaa? lacag kama rabo (agoonta ha la siiyo), laakiin biyaha iyo korontada, Chef-ka iyo darawalka ha la dabaro uun.

[Jacaylbaro]

ma adaaba wax kele u baahan markaa ,,, inta lacagta loo qaataaba waa intaase ,,

[Somalina]

Jacaylbaro;690333 wrote:

ma adaaba wax kele u baahan markaa ,,, inta lacagta loo qaataaba waa intaase ,,

I guess I will do the cooking. Not only that but i guess I'll have to do with feynuus, iyo biyaha barkada. There should be enough for a driver/security guard oo i waardiyeeya 24/7 markaas nooh...

 

Anyways, I hope it works out. Waa sheeko fiican in waxbarashada caruurta la hormariyo.

[Kulmiye]

like someone already said, its a plan that is certainly worth giving a try... the rule of progress in any society starts by advancing the education system first which then creates a sophisticated people that will understand the social instructor and laws of the society. Awoowe Silaanyo wa smart and a wise man- someone once said "wisdom promotes knowledge"

[Qodax Qorax]

Somaliland doesnt need free education, but subsides education. By making education free you subsidize the education of children with rich parents.