Survey of ICT and Education in Africa : Somalia Country Report

Abstract

This short country report, a result of
 larger Information for Development Program (infoDev) -
 supported survey of the Information and Communication
 Technologies (ICT) in education in Africa, provides a
 general overview of current activities and issues related to
 ICT use in education in the country. Somalia gained its
 independence in 1960, and 10 years later the country was
 plagued by a civil war that lasted for 21 years. By 1991,
 this war had ceased, but the education system had
 disintegrated beyond repair. Sporadic fighting among
 warlords guarding territorial interest continued until 2004
 when the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was installed
 to normalize the administration and bring back law and
 order. The country is still facing political challenges. In
 June 2006, a loose coalition of clerics, business leaders,
 and Islamic court militias, known as the Supreme Council of
 Islamic Courts (SCIC), defeated powerful Mogadishu warlords
 and took control of the capital. The courts continued to
 expand, spreading their influence throughout much of
 southern Somalia and threatening to overthrow the TFG. The
 education sector is greatly affected by this political
 instability which has resulted in the displacement of
 people, destruction of infrastructure and schools, and
 looting of equipment and books. As much as things are slowly
 returning to normal, thanks to the efforts of United Nations
 (UN) bodies, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), and
 local communities, education system revival and reforms are
 just but beginning. And as much as ICT is acknowledged as a
 possible tool in the reform agenda and a possible catalyst
 to bring about better quality and more accessible education
 in Somalia, it does not feature in the current plans of most
 of the organization working in Somalia or the ministry in charge.