Community-owned schools on the
rise in Puntland State of Somalia
Mohamed Mire
Ahamed (mirem)
After the fall of Somali national government, all
public services had been non-existent, most of rural area residents
suffered lack of essential services like; Water, Health,
Electricity and especially education.
Starting from 1991-1993 most or all the cities
and villages of Somalia suffered lack of education and essential
services of life, but after 1993, many private schools had been
established by pioneers with collaboration of villagers and Elders.
This revolution of private schools had strong activities in most
populated towns of North East Regions such as Bosasso, Gardo, Garoe
and Galkaio, where low populated Villages left without education of
any grade due to low population that can’t not afford private school
charges.
This tragedy continued until 1998 when regional
State of Puntland was formed, which guided the resettlement of
regional security, where number of Police stations had been set up,
and International NGOs found environment which they can operate
smoothly with limited security constraints, and can shift from
relieve projects to development projects.
Starting from this time many villages and rural
areas bith gained public eye and UN Agencies started to deploy
campaigns of opening Village schools and Building New school
infrastructures to the villages with out schools.
This effort encouraged the community of many
villages to establish many primary schools called (Community Owned
Schools) COS, financed them selves and haired teachers and
mentionable outcomes appeared.
By taking an example, one of those schools opened
in Sheerbi.
Sheerbi is a large Village located in Kar-Kaar
Region 20 Km away from Gardo District to Bosasso the Trade Center of
Puntland State of Somalia.
Sheerbi population in winter season is around
3500, where summer season, sheerbi hosts summer vocation People from
Bosasso when Hot Climate starts.
Sheerbi primary school suffered with out any
support and there was no proper system of education existed, since
2006, when group of Community Elders & Educators set up a program
for sheerbi community owned schools.
The committee started a three months plan for
the school, which they intended to:
-
Introduce Arabic Based syllabus prepared by Islamic Bank &
Somali Federal Government.
-
Check the new teachers haired from out side sheerbi and old
Teachers haired locally from sheerbi and how they respond with
new syllabus.
-
Introduce students the new syllabus and evaluate them
-
Introduce community owned schools to sheerbi community, which
was a new idea that shows the capability of local resources and
how to raise them into public service, similarly how public
effort could fulfill part of government services, when effective
is missed.
During this three months of pre-Academic year,
Committee of SHEREDCO (Sheerbi Educational Development Committee)
who is the committee responsible the initiatives of the school and
Based in Bosasso, Village Mayor and school management successfully
achieved good result, that enabled to grade students in to classes,
starting from grade 1-6.
When the school year started September 2006,
Sheerbi School started with formal school structure, with 7 teachers
and one Administrator; although SHEREDCO and Mayor of the town
shared to establish school Committee contained part of Student
Parents, Elders, Youth and Community Chiefs. Which they intended to
take part the ongoing efforts toward educational development and
other initiatives like Garbage Collection, Tree Planting and forest
protection since sheerbi endowed large forest in its surrounding
environment.
September 2006, when school year started
enrolment of the school increased from 181 to 234 regular students
that attend academic syllabus.
On the other hand Teaches established adult
education at afternoon, and around 60 students were enrolled, this
afternoon student 70% of them were female adults, learning Literacy
and Numercy in order to help mothers and adult girls unlucky to have
essential education.
Finally this program attracted the public eye of
both sheerbi village residents and surrounding Villages started
learning of how to establish community owned schools, with out
having support from government and other NGOs like UN and etc.
People trusted them selves to use available
resources , and even people originated to rural areas or have
families in there collected contributions in order to supports the
needy community services. And started similar schools like sheerbi
Community Owned School.
This is a good example to every resident of
African rural Villages to use resource of their pocket with out
waiting either government or UN Agencies; it is also a language
which is easy to understand for every African development
committees.
By: Mohamed Mire Ahmed