Books and technology for Somalia education sector
Reactions and feedback on Somali week
Last week my focus was on #Somalia and thanks for the feedback, emails, etc. That was very encouraging, to know that many of you are reading and reacting to my post. Let me share some highlights from last week: https://tinyurl.com/224c9z2x, here is a gem about the use of social media, i.e., twitter and FB. This is just to highlight the digital literacy or the technical gap between the users and the need for getting a better understanding of how to use these platforms. I concluded that week with this: https://tinyurl.com/y3rkay59 .
The reaction to https://tinyurl.com/3xsxhjus was unexpected, combined with my reaction to a former Somali FA minister’s comment, https://tinyurl.com/yeys9kb2 led to this https://tinyurl.com/msjcywy, I accept all feedback, comments and reactions with open mind. The beauty of open discussion and dialogue is its power to make us learn from each other. Blocking those with different ideas, and allowing one version of story to be heard and/or to promote that there is only one side to every story is myopic.
Education, books and the use of technology will help fast-track the rebuilding of the Somali institutions. I have been working with many in the Somali education sector for many years on different ideas that I will share with you over the next few months. It seems many in the Somali education sector today are focused on the basic teaching and learning aspects of education using methods and techniques from different era and ideological orientations. We need to look beyond that, and use education as a nation building tool, and not a private sector enterprise. This needs to be discussed and debated to ensure education helps rather than retards our national development.
It might be useful to remind the young generation that we used to have good schools, universities and research centres before 1991. For example, the Somali National University, Gaheyr, from 1971- 1990, and later on re-opened in August 2014. The important point I want to remind all Somalis is that before the collapse of the Somali central Government, education was free. And students were getting free books, food and lodging, even during holidays students who wanted to stay in the University dormitories were getting their lodgings and food freely as usual.
I wrote about this in many other fora, promoting that model and using it again should be reconsidered. Those who succeeded in life from that free education and others who got free scholarship owe Somalia a lot and must pay back. That should be considered a soft loan that must be paid back, maybe with a couple of years working at schools, universities, hospitals, public service of any form back home. This is the moral and right thing to do. The government should also urgently consider the national service plan which will prepare the high school students, physically and mentally to become confident and productive citizens. This will certainly keep many away from the wicked and dangerous ideas circulating in Somalia. I know this, because I have been through this.
The reason we must remember and remind the young generation about Somali history, especially in this case, about education and its role in developing our country. This is to ensure they understand that the revisionists’ attempts who support the Shabab ideology are a direct attack on our history and national identity. And it seems their first target is the education sector. This can be seen on the social media platforms and many unregistered and unregulated schools in Somalia.
Some of the social media discussions on Somali education are reasonable and informative at the personal level, however, the lack of editorial oversight can confuse the youth. And certainly, will not contribute to the national agenda, as the focus is always on the private sector and personal gain, rather than nation building. See this business advice from a well-known, respected Somali business figure and I share it purely for academic ant national interest purpose: https://tinyurl.com/mujurrds.
Let me add that that use of technology in the education sector has the potential to transform Somalia’s learning environments and improve educational outcomes significantly. As said in earlier post the Somali education sector, which has been plagued by years of conflict and instability, integrating technology could offer many potential benefits. Here are some ways this could be done:
1. Digital Literacy: Ensure that teachers, students, and the broader community are provided with basic digital literacy training. This would allow everyone to make effective use of the technology and ensure that it benefits education.
2. Distance Learning Platforms: The creation and promotion of distance learning platforms can offer accessible and flexible learning opportunities. These platforms could provide online courses, tutorials, and assessments that can be accessed from anywhere. This is especially important in areas where students have limited access to schools due to geographical or security challenges.
3. Mobile Learning: Given the widespread use of mobile phones in Somalia, education could be delivered using mobile learning platforms. This could include SMS-based education for areas with limited internet access, as well as smartphone apps for more interactive learning where internet is available.
4. Infrastructure Development: Invest in the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the use of technology in education. This could include things like computer labs, projectors, and other ICT facilities in schools. On a larger scale, efforts could be made to improve internet access and power supply in areas where these are unreliable.
5. Digital Libraries: Develop digital libraries to provide students and teachers with access to a wide variety of educational resources. These resources can be accessed from anywhere, which can be particularly beneficial for those in remote areas.
6. E-Learning Content in Somali Language: Develop e-learning content in the Somali language. This would make learning materials more accessible to all students and ensure that language is not a barrier to education.
7. Teacher Training: Use technology to provide ongoing training and professional development opportunities for teachers. This can help to ensure that teachers are well equipped to integrate technology into their teaching and to provide quality education.
8. Collaborative Learning Tools: Use collaborative learning tools to encourage group work and peer learning. These can also be used to facilitate communication between students and teachers, as well as among teachers for professional collaboration.
9. Education Data Systems: Implement comprehensive data systems to track educational outcomes and identify areas for improvement. These can provide valuable insights to guide policy and decision-making.
Let me pause here and mention FPENS – Education Network in Somalia. The current Minister of Education knows https://fpens.org very well and its achievements is a topic for another day, however, I just want quickly to remind all, the need to build on, enhance if necessary and never destroy a system that works, the ‘waa markii ugu horeysay’ thinking must be stopped and replaced with collaborative, continuous improvement model. The former Minister of education’s reaction to Fpens should be revisited, focusing on the national perspective. Recognizing the authenticity of educational certificates from a Somali school was problematic until Fpens solved this problems with its online credentialing system, and the rest as they say is history.
While these strategies offer considerable potential to improve education in Somalia, it's important to remember that they are not a silver bullet. They must be implemented alongside other efforts to address the broader challenges facing education in Somalia, such as insecurity, poverty, and gender inequality. It's also crucial to ensure that efforts to promote technology in education are inclusive and accessible to all students, regardless of their circumstances.
So what can we (Somalis in the diaspora) do to help the education sector? See suggestions below.
Donating books, educational technologies (apps, links, publications) to universities and schools back home.
Volunteers to translate somsog.org content to Arabic and Somali can be helpful.
Finally, I want to congratulate Mogadishu based Abdirizak Mohamed Hashi, educator-motivator: https://tinyurl.com/44vhjk8s and also see video below.
Comments and feedback as always are welcome- mi@ayuub.org… and contrary to some feedback and suggestions on the last post, who did not agree with my choice of videos … the majority liked them and here they are again enjoy Carl Sagan on books, and if you are having trouble with a book then watch this.
My Digital Footprint:
https://twitter.com/misomalia https://www.youtube.com/c/Mi2020 https://www.facebook.com/mib2020 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mi2000/ https://www.instagram.com/mwze2020/ https://icannwiki.org/Mohamed_Ibrahim
http://kajm.net/
Welcome Abukar. Am glad you enjoyed...
Thank you so much for this insightful article. Always enjoyed the experiences you shared and will keep sharing in my circle so that more people can benefit.