HE President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has announced that the government will hire 10,000 teachers for public schools to implement accessible, quality, and inclusive education across the country.
Speaking at the National Education Conference in Mogadishu on Monday, March 13th 2023, President Hassan said he was passionate about learning and education as a fundamental right and a key factor for human development.
“I have always been passionate about learning and it’s my pursuing goals. I was fortunate to receive free education from the government and I made the most of it. Education is a fundamental right and a key factor for human development. Our country cannot afford to have an uneducated society that falls prey to the manipulations of al-Shabaab. We need to empower our people with knowledge and skills.”
Salah Jama, the Deputy Prime Minister who attended the conference, expressed his support for President Hassan’s plan. “Our vision is to build a democratic, federal and prosperous government. To achieve this, we need an educated society that can overcome the challenges of our time. It breaks my heart to see four million children deprived of education and threatened by a ruthless terrorist group.”
Farah Sheikh Abdikadir the Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education stated that the conference aims to gather practical ideas and recommendations for improving access to quality education in Somalia. The National Education Conference, with the theme of ‘Transforming Society through Relevant and Quality Education,’ has commenced. It has brought together education stakeholders and our valuable international partners to shape the future of education in Somalia and ensure that no one is left behind,” he added.
Anita Kiki Gbeho, The United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia spoke on behalf of the international partners and said, “Children in Somalia have opportunities to expand their education. This conference shows the way forward. We face challenges such as low retention rates and quality education, but we are committed to transforming the education sector and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4 on education. Somalia has submitted its first SDG report to the UN. Education is essential for peace and stability in Somalia. I thank the Ministry of Education and our partners for inviting us to this conference.”
The conference will continue until March 17th 2023 with various sessions on topics such as curriculum development, discussion panels, special needs education, and research on quality education. This conference is the second one within a decade.
Source: Somali National News Agency