Jo Bradley
Mohamed Abdirahman Mohamed
Robert Smith
International Extension College
Cambridge
March 1992

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 3
A. Introduction 4
1. The aims of the consultancy 4
2. Historical background 5
3. The current crisis in education 7
B. Coping with the crisis 12
1. Accommodation 12
2. Resources 13
3. The curriculum and its implementation 13
4. Materials for teachers 15
5. Staffing 15
6. Support for teachers 16
7. Training and retraining of teachers 17
8. The school and the community 18
C. Looking to the future 20
1. Introduction 20
2. Initial training of teachers 20
3. Curriculum and materials development 22
4. In-service training and advice to teachers 23
5. Preparation and record keeping 25
6. A resource centre 26
7. Teachers' centres 28
8. The school and its community 30
9. Education and nomads 30
D. Recommendations 33
E. Project Proposals 39
Appendices 62
1. Policy statement of MOEYS 62
2. Terms of reference of the consultancy 66
3. Suggestions for mine awareness education 68
4. Guidelines for primary teachers 69
5. Notes on an advisory service 71
6. In-service training for heads 74
References 76

The consultants would like to thank everyone whose kind help and friendship made their stay in Somaliland such a pleasant one, particularly Hussein Elmi Warsame and his staff in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and John Buttery and colleagues at SCF(UK) Hargeisa and Djibouti. We also want to express our gratitude to all the teachers and children who made us so welcome at every school we visited. We hope that the ideas and suggestions we present in this report will make some contribution towards an improvement of the conditions in which they are teaching and learning.

A. INTRODUCTION

This is the report of a consultancy undertaken by the International Extension College, on behalf of Save the Children (UK), in order to assess the primary education needs in Somaliland. The consultancy was undertaken by a team of 3 people based at the Hargeisa office of SCF, and lasted from 1.2.92 to 7.3.92. 1 The aims of the consultancy

Our full terms of reference, as agreed by IEC and SCF, are given in Appendix 2. Our main aims have been the following:

1. To propose a plan for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS) to establish an appropriate programme of retraining for primary teachers. To examine the need for teacher training provision for school leavers. To consider the establishment of a system of supervision for primary education.

2. To make proposals for the development of a curriculum for primary education. To review existing curricular material, to assess the Ministry's position and to identify relevant skilled educators.

3. To assess the proposal for an educational resource centre, including its appropriate role in support of teacher training and curriculum development.

For all 3 major areas of enquiry we were asked to outline a plan of action and a preliminary budget, with help in the latter task from SCF. In the event, we have found it necessary to subdivide these large aims into smaller ones, in response to the situation on the ground and our discussions with those concerned in Somali land. In particular, we have decided to present two kinds of recommendations: short-term, or emergency, and longer-term. These are discussed, respectively, in the next two main sections of this report.

Our recommendations will be found to be, on the whole, fairly modest concrete suggestions about how to get started in the main areas of activity. The circumstances, both political and financial, in Somaliland are still too uncertain and constrained for the makinq of qrand schemes.

As part of our investigation, SCF organized a one-day conference on education in Somaliland, to which 8 senior Somali educators were invited. The conference discussed most of the ideas put forward in this report, although those present cannot be held in any way responsible for our recommendations. The conference papers will shortly be available separately from SCF.

2. Historical backqround

Somaliland became a British Protectorate in the 1880s, but the British did not at first pay much attention to the educational needs of its people. Partly this was because a system of Islamic education through Koranic schools and Madrasas already existed. By the turn of the century, however, it was because the administration was fully occupied in its military campaign against the nationalist leader, Sayid Mohamed Abdile Hassan.

Indeed, fierce opposition to the introduction of western education and possible Christian proselytisation was one of the main reasons for opposition to British rule (Lewis, 1980). After the Sayid's death in 1920, the British made plans to introduce elementary schooling, but abandoned them in the face of continuing opposition. In 1929, they registered, inspected and subsidized selected schools which taught reading, writing and arithmetic in Arabic. In 1936 the first Director of Education was appointed, and proposals for secular education drawn up. But, in the face of strong opposition from educated Somalis with pro- Arab sympathies, and indeed in the face of violent agitation in Berbera and Burao (including the stoning of the Director of Education), this policy was again shelved.

The Second World War and the urban migration which followed it made many people more aware of the advantages of education. In particular, Somalis who had served in the armed forces during the war observed that the best paid jobs went to those from other countries who could read and write. By 1942 Somaliland had 3 elementary schools (Grades 1-3), and by 1945 7 (Lewis, 1980). By 1950 there were 2 intermediate schools (Grades 4-7), for boys only. All these schools used Arabic as the medium of instruction, while the administration continued to support Koranic education in private schools. Educational provision was deliberately limited to avoid creating a class of semi-educated unemployed men. In 1953 the Educational Department reported that it was 'not intended at present to attempt to provide formal education on a very wide scale nor to make an attempt at mass literacy' (Alim, 1969/70).

In the late 1950s, in preparation for Independence and unification with Somalia, the colonial government released its spending constraints somewhat, but educational development in the south had apparently been faster, so that those trained by the Italians were at an advantage in the new government.

By 1960, there were in the north:

38 elementary schools for boys with 2020 students
12 intermediate schools for boys with 1039 students
3 elementary schools for girls with 319 students
2 secondary schools for boys with 70 students
100 students in vocational and trade schools
45 trained teachers
65 untrained teachers.

After Independence, a united education system had to be constructed for the whole of the new country. On Unesco advice it was a 4-4-4 system, using Arabic as the medium of instruction in elementary schools, and English in intermediate and secondary. Elementary schooling was free, but fees were charged for intermediate and secondary education. No attempt was made to make education compulsory. 22 boarding schools, both primary and secondary, were established to cater for the needs of children from nomadic and semi-nomadic families.

In 1972, the adoption by the military government of the ideology of 'scientific socialism', combined with the introduction of an official Romanised script for Somali, produced profound changes in the education system, of which the most significant was the re-introduction of Somali as the medium of instruction throughout the public primary and secondary education system. These developments had clear secular implications, although Koranic schools and private schools teaching in Arabic continued to exist. A completely new curriculum was adopted, although the task of producing new textbooks was never completed, and few of those which were produced found their way to the north of the country. The military authorities interfered with the running of schools, and teachers' salaries fell over the years to a point where they bore no relationship to the cost of living.

An inevitable consequence of the developments of the last 20 years was that the teachers became demoralized and the society became antagonistic towards this system of schooling. By the late 1980s standards of primary education were widely acknowledged to have fallen drastically, especially in rural areas. This deterioration was very clearly associated in people's minds with an authoritarian and highly centralized system of school administration, based on Mogadishu. Unfortunately, it was also associated with the first real attempts to teach a curriculum designed for Somali needs, using the Somali language and reflecting Somali culture.

Students graduating from this system were at a disadvantage when seeking higher education abroad, because they did not have proficiency in any foreign language. In particular, their lack of skills in English was frequently cited by students and teachers alike in the 1980s as a serious handicap (MOEYS, l991c).

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports estimates (MOEYS, l991a) that on the eve of the war which began in 1988, the regions making up what is now the Somaliland Republic had the following numbers of students and schools:

schools students
primary 174 42,650
secondary 20 7,976
technical 3 837
other 22 3,978

The next subsection deals with the situation which faces the Ministry now that the war is over.

3. The current crisis in education

The civil war waged by the government of Siad Barre on the people of northern Somalia lasted from 1988 until early 1991, when Barre was driven out of Mogadishu and the SNM forces retook the towns in the north which his forces had been holding. On 18 May 1991 the Republic of Somaliland declared itself to be an independent state, although so far it has not received international recognition.

The war was fought from the air as well as on the ground, and left Hargeisa and other towns and villages devastated. Not only were communities bombed and shelled; their houses and public buildings were thoroughly looted and mines were sown by the million.

The documents produced by the Ministry (MOEYS, l991a, b, c) summarise the position after the fighting and looting as follows: the people are destitute, the government has no money, many schools are derelict, there are no educational materials, and refugees are returning from Ethiopia and Somalia to add to the strain on what meagre resources there are. From our own limited observations, this is clearly an accurate description, although of course there are variations in the situation from place to place.

Another important observation, made by the INCS mission (INCS, 1991), is that, as a consequence of the policies of the previous regime towards the north, the country has no intermediate administrative capacity. Our impressions certainly support this finding as far as the education sector is concerned.

The Ministry estimates that 70% of its 219 schools have been damaged or destroyed. Nearly all have been looted of their educational materials and other fittings. 50 primary schools have been reopened so far, including elementary (Grades 1-4) and intermediate (Grades 5-8). The Ministry's records have been destroyed, but it has started collecting returns from schools in 7 towns. These indicate that 11,200 children are attending school, and that 1,200 teachers and other staff are working. The target is to reopen a total of 100 primary and 6 secondary schools by the end of 1992 (MOEYS, 1992).

In addition to the public sector, private Koranic and Madrasa schools are also functioning, but there are no statistics about the scale of this Provision.

SCF(UK) is supporting a survey, which the Ministry is currently undertaking, to establish more accurately the extent of the damage suffered by all schools, how much equipment and materials they have, and as much information as possible about the teachers who are working. This information should be processed within the next few weeks.

Our own observations are based on visits to 13 primary and 2 secondary schools, of which 8 primary schools were in session during our visits. These schools are in the communities of Hargeisa, Arabsiyo, Gabiley, Borama and Berbera. (We also visited Las Anod, but were not able to go to the schools.) The 8 schools which we observed in operation cater for a total of 2,320 children, of whom about 25% are girls. They have 90 teachers, of whom 50% are untrained and fewer than 10% are women. More than half of the classes in existence in these elementary schools are for Grade 1 (30/55).

Everywhere, except Berbera, Borama and Las Anod, the schools show evidence of structural damage. Most schools have been looted and rooms cannot be secured, because of damage to doors, windows, walls etc. Some school premises and yards are littered with the debris of looting and war, including hazardous materials. None of the schools we visited has either a water supply or latrines, although the latter are being constructed for several schools in Hargeisa with help from Oxfam. UNDP has also roofed 24 classrooms in 4 schools in Hargeisa, but there is no sign of this project being extended further.

There is evidence of support from the community for the schools, especially from the parents. In some schools parents have helped to construct or repair furniture; in one they had roofed two classrooms; everywhere they are apparently willing to contribute SS3,000 per month per child towards teachers' salaries.

All the classrooms we visited had blackboard and chalk, usually supplied by SCF. None contained any other teaching aids or equipment. In many, children were sitting directly on the floor, on stones or on cans. Classroom furniture has sometimes been improvised very ingeniously out of the debris left behind by the looters. Some classrooms are very dirty and dilapidated. All the children we saw had writing materials, although some had only one exercise book. These books and pencils are usually bought by the parents, although we understand that they are not available in more remote parts of the country.

All the children we met seemed alert, eager to learn and reasonably well clothed. All the teachers and children are reported to be hungry. Some teachers appeared tired, thin and poorly dressed.

There are no test books for teachers or students. Some teachers have managed to rescue one or two old books from the local market, but most have to rely on the outline emergency syllabus issued by the Ministry, of which there is only one copy per school. This, clearly, is inadequate for teachers who have never taught, or who have never before taught at this level. SCF has supplied attendance registers.

Teachers have been working voluntarily since the schools opened again last July, but teaching had to be temporarily suspended in December because they were not prepared to continue without pay. Since then an initiative of parents in Borama, to collect school fees in order to pay teachers, has been generally adopted by the Ministry, and teachers in Hargeisa told us that they had just received their first payment. Parents pay Som Sh3,000 per month for each child in school, and each teacher receives Som Sh50,000. It seems this is as much as parents can afford in the present circumstances, but we were told that it is not enough to buy food for two days.

All the teachers we spoke to said that the most urgent needs were for salaries, food, books, school repairs and training. There is no shortage of teachers, but it is doubtful how much longer the current volunteers will be prepared to continue with no prospect of payment. The Director General of the Ministry of Education estimates that in Hargeisa alone, where 146 are working, another 190 are waiting for work. In a situation where no income generating employment is available for educated people, teachers are keen to establish their eventual right to a paid job by volunteering in the meantime. So far, in the emergency, untrained teachers have been accepted where necessary. But as more and more qualified and experienced primary teachers return from Ethiopia and from Somalia, the Ministry is reviewing the criteria for appointment. We understand that all the teachers now working in Hargeisa are qualified.

Apart from the need for repairs to structure and equipment in the schools, there is a desperate and urgent need for teaching and training materials for the teachers. In Las Anod, which escaped the fighting, and which was comparatively favoured by the previous government, there are stocks of textbooks in all subjects for the previous syllabus, at least for Grades 1 and 2. We had also hoped to find evidence of stocks of IITT teacher training self-study materials in Borama, but these turned out to have been looted.

Both teachers and Ministry staff say there is an urgent need for short face-to-face orientation workshops to help teachers to make the best possible use of the very limited resources available for teaching. We support this suggestion.

Somali land is faced, and will be for years to come, with the hazard of minefields and unexploded ordnance all over the country. There is an obvious need for children, in particular, to be made aware of these dangers and how to minimise them. On the question of equal opportunities for both sexes, we have observed that girls are not equally represented in any schools we have visited. In Hargeisa, at least, girls and boys are being taught separately at all levels, where numbers permit, although girls are being taught mainly by male teachers. There are very few women teachers - none at all in Borama. The most convincing explanation we were given for this situation is that women are too busy keeping their families fed to volunteer for unpaid work in schools, whereas most men have nothing better to do with their time. However, there is almost certainly an element of past sexual discrimination as well. For example, teachers in Borama told us that no women from their town had ever attended the Hargeisa Teacher Training Institute.

As the INCS mission predicted (INCS, 1991, p.3), there is a vigorous debate about the use of Arabic in schools, and about the kind of education which is appropriate for an avowedly Islamic society. A seminar for teachers held by the Ministry in May 1991 advocated, by a very narrow vote, using Arabic as the medium of instruction in elementary grades and English thereafter. This decision has been made part of the Ministry's policy document, which is currently with the Council of Ministers for approval.

Many, if not most, of the educators we spoke to expressed reservations about depriving children of elementary education in their mother tongue, although all supported the aim of ensuring that children learned Arabic well enough to be good Muslims. The situation seems to be rather confused, with some of those concerned expecting the question to remain open for some time, while others regard the policy decision as already having been taken. Another source of confusion for those who would advocate mother tongue teaching in the early years of school, is that most children come to primary school having already received two years of pre-school education in Koranic schools. In these schools, of course, only Arabic is taught, and it is learned mainly by chanting aloud the text of the Holy Quran in chorus after the teacher.

The current crisis in the schools of Somaliland has been developing for some years. Only within the last year, however, has it been possible for measures to be taken to alleviate it. The Ministry and the local communities have done as much as they can to revive their primary schools, with a relatively small amount of support from outside. There is now an urgent need for this outside support to be stepped up. As we argue in the nest section of our report, unless aid is forthcoming to support the schools in very basic ways, progress cannot realistically be expected in any of the areas of activity which our team was specifically called upon to consider.

B. COPING WITH THE CRISIS

The need to alleviate suffering, solve the main difficulties and cope with the present crisis in education has to be dealt with before adequate educational provision can be established in the schools. In this section of the report we identify the tasks which we consider need to be tackled over the next 8-12 months, and suggest some ways of approaching them. This is very largely a question of making the best possible use of the resources now available, however meagre. It is expected that some emergency aid will also be forthcoming from NGOs, both Somali and international, if not directly from bilateral government or UN donors.

We recognize that the crisis in education will continue beyond this 12-month period. But it is essential that what is set down below is achieved before the start of long term initiatives which include the production of a national curriculum, the setting up of educational resource centres, arrangements for inspection and supervision and the creation of an examination system. We include here matters which are strictly beyond our terms of reference, because they are unanimously agreed to be the most urgent needs. We know that it is not normally SCF policy to construct or repair school buildings or furniture, or to provide resources for the Ministry which are not project-related. We hope that our reiteration of the immediate necessity for such assistance will help the Ministry in its presentation of its case for more general support to UN and bilateral agencies.

The aim is to make provision by the end of this school year (July 1992) for 25,000 children in 100 primary schools, that is the elementary and intermediate phases of education.

1. Accommodation

The provision of accommodation is quite clearly the most urgent requirement. The scale of the problem and the distribution of needs will be evident as soon as the findings of the Ministry's current survey of damage to schools and educational activity (see p.8 above) are analysed and presented, which should be in March 1992. It is necessary to ensure that each school building is:

(a) of safe construction and the grounds are cleared of potential hazards,
(b) capable of giving the children and staff appropriate protection from the elements,
(c) suitable for the teaching of children and proper conduct of the school, for example an office for the head, storage facilities,
(d) clean and tidy with suitable clean and sufficient sanitary provision, for both sexes and for staff,
(e) secure, i.e. fenced and with lockable rooms.

We suggest that each community be approached to decide on the contribution its members can afford to make, whether in cash, kind or labour. This information, and estimates of the costs of materials and other inputs, should be presented as quickly as possible to a wide range of potential donors. No doubt teaching in many of the classrooms which are now in use will have to be suspended during the forthcoming rains. This fact could be used to highlight the urgency of the problem, perhaps by including photographic evidence in funding proposals.

2. Resources

Each school also needs an appropriate quantity of exercise books (ideally one for each child for each subject each term), paper, pencils and erasers. It would be an advantage if children had access to pencil sharpeners, because at present use is being made of unguarded razor blades. Many parents are already providing their children with exercise books and pencils, which are on sale everywhere in the towns that we visited, at about Som Sh3,000 and 500 respectively (Hargeisa prices). However, we were told that these are not on the market in Sanaag region. SCF has recently ordered a further 10,000 exercise books and pencils for schools. The Ministry needs to find a way to provide each school with suitable books and other stationery for the proper administration of the school. For example, an admission register, notepaper, record books to enable teachers to track children's progress, notebooks for the teachers' lesson plans and preparation. If the Ministry can provide examples of what is needed, the cost of printing might be met by a donor.

For each school, an appropriate number of desks and benches is needed for the pupils. Consideration might be given to supplying large tables and stools of a simple construction rather than the traditional desks, which are difficult to make and require a great deal of wood. Younger children might sit on traditional woven mats. The local community must be encouraged to take responsibility for some of this provision, in return for tools and materials with which to make or mend furniture. The availability of wooden pallets from Berbera port might be followed up (through Caritas and SOMRA, who have already used some to make benches for schools there).

3. The curriculum and its implementation

In November 1991 the Ministry produced an 'Emergency Outline Syllabus'. It was a temporary measure as a response to the crisis in education in Somali land. The document appears to be based on the curriculum prepared at the Curriculum Development Centre in Mogadishu during the period 1970-1980. (The consultants have made a translation into English, which is available on request from IEC.)

The section on history has been modified significantly because of changes in religious emphasis and the need to omit references to 'scientific socialism'. Geographical content has been altered, with more account taken of the main features of Somali land. Items of content have been moved, for example in mathematics, so that they were better suited to the program me followed by particular grades.

The document appears to be a watered down or simplified secondary syllabus. Often, because of its level of difficulty, the content is more appropriate for older and more advanced pupils.

The syllabus is short and uneven in quality. For example, the geography for Grade 1 consists of only 4 topics; the syllabus for Somali is a list of textbooks, with no indication of the titles. No account is taken of the fact that the schools only very rarely have single copies of textbooks.

A copy of the syllabus has been sent to each school. It provides the only guidance available for staff trying to decide what they should teach. The situation is exacerbated because about half the teachers are unqualified and the main recent experience of many others is with older more advanced Peoples.

Because of a lack of resources, it has not been possible to give heads and teachers guidance about the implementation of the syllabus.

There is a need for a short, clearly written handbook. The aim is to assist heads and teachers to make more effective use of the Emergency Outline Syllabus. Such a handbook should include sections on:

(i) Planning a school curriculum for a year
(ii) Planning a class curriculum for a term
(iii) Lesson preparation
(iv) Teaching methods
(v) Work to be carried out by the pupils, and how to mark it.

This could be prepared by a working group in the Ministry in preparation for the in service training workshops recommended below. The SCF Education Coordinator could assist with this task. We also strongly recommend that the Ministry organise a session for all pupils of schools in affected areas on mine awareness and dangers. Some suggestions are presented in Appendix 3.

4. Materials for teachers

There is an urgent need to provide the teachers in each school with sufficient resources for the teaching of the primary (elementary plus intermediate) curriculum. Initially, this should include any suitable existing books in: Somali, English, mathematics, Arabic, Islamic religion, history, geography, science, health education.

As part of our consultancy, a search has been started, both in Somaliland and overseas, for existing curricular material, especially textbooks and IITT teacher training assignments. Some material has been collected from a variety of sources and is held in the UK by IEC, including material produced by CDC and IITT. Some is in the process of being collected and sorted by the Ministry in Hargeisa. Unfortunately, our original hopes of finding substantial numbers of IITT assignments, either in Somaliland or overseas, have been disappointed.

We propose that the material which has been found, and approved by the Ministry (mostly textbooks) is quickly copied in the UK or elsewhere and transported back to Somaliland for distribution to the schools. It is recommended that 300 copies be made of each publication and relevant maps, charts and illustrations also be produced. The aim should be to provide each subject teacher with a set of materials in that subject. The first priority should be to reproduce textbooks and/or teachers' guides for all subjects in Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4. Our project proposal is presented in Section E below (Project Proposal 1).

Teachers are attempting to teach English from Grade 2 onwards with even less guidance than is available for other subjects, as English has not previously formed part of the primary curriculum. At the conference on primary education, which was hosted by SCF as part of our consultancy, it was suggested that advice on suitable English teaching materials should be sought from specialists in England. The International Extension College will be happy to seek this advice on behalf of the Ministry. The question of preparing for the planned introduction of English as a subject and as a medium of instruction will be dealt with in Section C below.

5. Staffing

There is a need to provide an appropriate number of paid teachers for the primary schools. It is understood that 1,500 are needed by the beginning of the next school year.

There are currently about 1,200 teachers working voluntarily in 50 schools. As far as we are aware, there is currently no food or money in the aid pipeline for them. They cannot be expected to continue in their posts much longer on the basis of hopes and promises. We are not able to suggest a solution to this problem, but we understand that UN agencies may be willing to channel aid for this purpose through NGOs.

As the towns and villages in Somaliland are reconstructed with a revival in the economy, it is likely that the more able and resourceful teachers will take up other forms of employment and desert the education service. The closure of schools during the civil war has resulted in loss of employment for teachers, heads and other educators. Additionally, a large number have travelled from areas of conflict in the south of the country, especially Mogadishu.

Among both the employed and unemployed teachers, there is a wide variety of experience, expertise and considerable range in qualifications. Some held senior posts in schools, in teacher training, curriculum development, the inspectorate and administration. There is awareness of the need to make effective use of those who are experienced, trained and well qualified. As a result, the Ministry has started to compile a register of teachers and other educators. This initiative will include those who are working in schools and those who are unemployed. Additional funding is needed in order to carry out this enquiry quickly and efficiently. Our proposal for a project to do this is presented in Section E below (Project Proposal 2).

6. Support for teachers

Even at this early stage in the re-creation of a system of schooling, the staff in the schools require support and help with the practicalities of teaching. This should take the form of visits by Ministry personnel (Regional Education Officers), offerinq assistance and encouragement to hard pressed staff. Both heads and teachers need clear guidance, in order to implement effectively the new Emergency Syllabus, including the selection of what is appropriate from the printed Material that is going to be supplied by the Ministry. Assistance is needed in order to ensure that sound use is made of textbooks and consumable materials, such as exercise books, pencils and paper. This assistance might include clearly written guides that deal with the use of textbooks, planning and preparation of lessons, advice about teaching methods and the forms of work to be carried out by the pupils. An example of what might be included in a teachers' guide is in Appendix 4.

Advice and support for heads might take the form of a carefully researched and clearly written memorandum on how the head should conduct his/her school. It is envisaged that the head should ensure that:

(a) the school premises, the building, is safe, clean, the walls are washed and free from graffiti, the floor is clean and free from dust,
(b) the grounds are swept and free from litter and any injurious material,
(c) the school opens and closes at the proper time,
(d) the school is open for the required number of days,
(e) the staff keep appropriate records to indicate when a pupil is admitted and when he/she leaves,
(f) a record is kept of the daily attendance of each pupil,
(g) teachers make effective use of the textbooks and other teaching materials, there is no wastage or damage or neglect (see Guidelines, Appendix 4),
(h) effective use is made of a secure, clean room to ensure that the books and other teaching materials are stored properly and do not deteriorate,
(i) appropriate records are kept of all books, texts, charts etc. for which the head is responsible,
(j) children's work is marked regularly, including homework that has been set,
(k) each teacher's preparation book is examined carefully and signed by the head each week,
(1) each teacher keeps an appropriate record of the work completed by each pupil, which might take the form of a mark book,
(m) conducts a staff meeting each week in order to discuss:

* the school routine - but
* more importantly the staff meeting will enable the teachers to help one another by sharing expertise, skills, knowledge and experience. All the staff should be required to attend these meetings. The head should prepare an agenda and minutes should be kept of the decisions made.

7. Training and retraining of teachers

A high proportion of teachers are unqualified. Among those who are qualified, many lack the experience and training necessary for teaching the primary grades, because previously they have worked with older, more advanced pupils. In addition to the memoranda for heads and the guidance papers for teachers, there is a need for in-service training. The courses should be modest in scale; they should derive from the present situation in the schools but take into account the resourcing which, it is hoped, will be available in the next few months.

We support the Ministry's declared intention to provide such short induction or refresher courses for serving teachers on a regional basis. In order for these to take place, as planned, in mid-1992, more material for teachers must be ready for distribution by then (including the handbook suggested under 3 above), and the programme of training must be decided in time to prepare the trainers themselves. Our suggestions for such a programme are presented in Section E below (Project Proposal 3).

8. The school and the community

The Ministry, the communities and the public at large ought to recognize what the staff in many schools have achieved in spite of seemingly insurmountable difficulties. There is a need to raise the status of primary education, and to provide as much support as possible from the community, both locally and on a wider basis.

(a) The local community

Perhaps the devastation of communities is not so obvious as that of the effect of the conflict on the buildings. Both are casualties of the civil war. In the same way that houses are being repaired so communities are being reconstructed and in some cases created. The community's support for the school could become a valuable focus of activity. This self-help will almost certainly raise morale and assist Somalis to continue the struggle to build a new life.

During our visits to schools, we have been impressed by the ways in which quite small, poor communities have helped to reestablish the local primary school; this is described in more detail elsewhere in our report (page 8). We believe that, with encouragement from the Ministry, and with some support from NGOs, these excellent examples of self-help could be more widespread, so that in due course supporting the local school would become a normal part of the life and work of a community.

Local communities can be mobilized to form school committees, working closely with head teachers in order to:

1. help to clean school walls and floors, sweep school grounds and clear them of litter and injurious material;
2. collect money for the cost of minor repairs and buy cleaning materials;
3. identify skilled technicians within the school community and ask them to volunteer their services to the school as needed. This would be particularly important for specialist jobs which might be dangerous for pupils to undertake;
4. enhance the community's understanding and awareness of:
(i) the needs of the school and its staff;
(ii) the importance of education, the head and the teachers;
5. help the school improve its environment by, for example, keeping latrines clean, growing plants in the school garden;
6. provide the school with water and clean drinking water for the children and the staff.
(b) the overseas community
The Ministry should contact Somali communities abroad and explain the pressing need for educational resources. It is important that efforts undertaken to assist Somaliland are well organized and efficiently coordinated. Each such community could perhaps be twinned with a district or a region, e.g. the UK community could be twinned with the schools in Hargeisa.

Each overseas community should be asked to assist in a specified area, in order to avoid any duplication. Communities abroad can also be encouraged to provide advice and expertise.

The large Somaliland communities in the UK, the USA, Canada, Norway, Germany, and in the Gulf and other Arab countries, could be called upon to participate.

C. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

1. Introduction

In this section we present our suggestions for ways of moving beyond the crisis which now exists in Somaliland's schools, and toward the establishment of a sustainable education system. For this development to take place in a way which reflects the needs and wishes of the people of Somaliland, it must be informed by policies and plans originating in the government and the Ministry. The process of policy discussion and development is already under way. We believe that our recommendations are in accordance with the Ministry's developing perspective, and we hope that our advice will provide a constructive contribution to policy development. We would urge those responsible in the Ministry to devote as much thought as possible to looking to the future, even in the current emergency. We recommend that the Ministry establishes clear policies for the primary phase of education, based on guidance and direction from the Minister, and resulting from widespread consultation. It is essential that these policies are formulated and in place if sound use is to be made of aid from the international agencies.

During the consultancy and in this report, our approach to educational policy issues is a pragmatic one. We believe that the Republic of Somaliland needs to lay the foundations for a school system which is flexible, de-centralised, and which encourages self-sufficiency and community participation. This approach is desirable both because it reflects the declared aims of the Government of the Republic and because it has the best chance of producing schools which will survive and prosper on the basis of firm foundations. Continuing dependence on support from external donors is not realistic in the world of the 1990s.

2. Initial training of teachers

In the process of moving out of the emergency and towards a structure which can serve the country for the next few years, the question of selecting and training new teaching staff will assume increased importance at all levels, including primary schools. Although the need for teacher training provision for school leavers (whether intermediate or secondary) is not at present urgent, plans need to be made so as to encourage young people to enter the profession. We were assured by those who came to our conference (see separate report) that the Ministry will need to start training new teachers quickly in order to meet the needs of its primary schools, as well as deploying all the trained and experienced teachers who also want to work. In addition, half of the teachers we have met who are currently working on a voluntary basis are unqualified. The Ministry must decide quickly whether to train these volunteers for permanent employment.

As we have already stated above, the Ministry needs a register of educators at all levels, which is continually updated as refugees return to the country. This will provide information about how many teachers are already available. A project proposal is presented in Section E below. To make plans for training new teachers, the Ministry also needs a projection of future needs, based on sound data and with careful account taken of the likely growth in provision of school places over the next 5-10 years.

In a situation of scarce resources, a residential college for the initial training of teachers may be an unaffordable luxury, although this must depend to some extent on the numbers of students involved and the cost of any proposed alternative. We would recommend that serious consideration be given to an on the- job approach to initial training, for the following reasons:

1. It is unlikely to require such a large initial capital investment as a residential system;
2. It will make it possible to train the existing untrained teachers without long and costly absences from their classrooms:
3. Teachers trained in this way are immediately deployed in the schools, rather than being sent off to college;
4. They put what they are learning into immediate effect, thus benefiting the students directly;
5. Their more successful and experienced colleagues in the district can be involved in their training;
6. Such a decentralized approach fits in with the proclaimed Policy of the government and the Ministry;
7. Such teachers can be selected from the community In which they will work, and are more likely to remain there if they are not uprooted for their training;
8. More women are likely to be able to enroll for training organized in this way;
9. A model for such a training programme already exists. The Institute of In-service Teacher Training successfully trained young refugees in Somalia as primary teachers over a period of 10 years. A core of experienced staff from IITT exists in Somaliland, although very few of the materials IITT developed seem to have survived-.
10. Such a model can be extended and adapted for a multitude of uses, including upgrading courses and general education for young adults.

The more it is made school-based, using self-study and good local supervision, the more effective it is likely to be from the point of view of the children, for the reasons listed above (see also Perraton, 1984). (See below for our suggestions on in-service training for teachers.)

Such a scheme would require a central unit, with a head, to administer and monitor activities, and to develop materials. There would be regional coordinators attached to the REO's office, and at the district level course coordinators. A project of this kind could be planned by an external consultant in collaboration with a senior ex-staff member of IITT and one of the Ministry's senior staff. IEC would be able to present a proposal for such a planning consultancy if required.

3. Curriculum and materials development

It is a prerequisite for any curriculum development activity that the question of the medium (or media) of instruction for primary education should be clarified. We know that this is one of the Ministry's main current concerns, and we support the proposal that a conference should be convened in the next few months to consider the whole issue very carefully. It has been suggested that a conference paper on the subject of mother tongue instruction at primary level might be commissioned, possibly from a Somali educator in the UK, who would have access to the professional literature on the subject. We recommend that SCF(UK) should offer support for this meeting, both in planning and implementation.

The Ministry has already begun to formulate its ideas for curriculum planning and textbook development. We suggest that, rather than appoint a permanent staff of curriculum developers and writers, these should be trained and employed part-time or on short contracts, with payment by results. Such an approach would enable the Ministry to identify and train the best people available for each task at the appropriate time, and to foster the development of such planning and writing skills among a wide range of educators. It also helps to counteract the tendency for curriculum development to become a central activity, undertaken by a small group of people based in the capital city. It is important to involve currently practicing primary school heads and teachers in discussions about curriculum development, as well as in writinq. It is also vital to bear in mind the experience of other countries and the needs of employers.

The Ministry needs its own printshop. This should be set up initially on a small scale, using simple equipment and straightforward techniques. Our suggestion is to start with a stencil system and a small photo offset machine, with as many as possible of the stages of production undertaken by hand, rather than by machine. With such a production unit in operation, the Ministry should aim to produce all the printed material it needs, including examination papers, syllabus documents, teacher training materials, and newsletters and other documents produced by the advisory service (see below).

Producing printed materials is expensive. However, it is not as expensive as producing educational broadcasts or video material. With scarce resources, we would recommend the Ministry initially to concentrate on print (including, for example, maps, wall charts). In this way the money will go further and the benefits will be spread more widely and fairly. If plans were made to sell textbooks, as well as supplying them free to schools and teachers, the Ministry would be able to recoup some of its production costs.

Our project proposal for support to the Ministry in this area is presented in Section E below. (Project Proposal 4.) The whole question of the teaching of English and teaching in English (i.e. English as a subject from Grade 2, and as a medium of instruction from Grade 5) needs separate and careful consideration. Training programs and materials will be required for both purposes, to be planned as part of an overall plan for the introduction of this major new policy initiative. This is a field in which the Ministry should be able to expect substantial support and advice from British institutions, such as the British Council and the BBC. There is relevant experience in other developing countries which have recently embarked on such a policy, like Namibia, and the British Council has recently supported a distance training program me for English teachers in Djibouti. IEC would be glad to advise further on this, if invited to do so.

4. In-service training and advice to teachers

Because of the shortcomings of the system set up under the previous regime, the Ministry may wish to consider carefully the way in which it monitors the conduct of its schools and gives guidance and support to heads, teachers and others working in the educational service. The usefulness of establishing a body which purports to carry out the duties of a traditional inspectorate is highly questionable. It would almost certainly be ineffective and waste valuable resources.

Consideration might be given to the formation of a small team (2 or 3) of education advisers in each of the 5 regions, with a group of 4/5 advisers in the Ministry (Project Proposal 5). The role of the regional advisers would be to work in schools alongside heads and teachers. Their main task would be to improve the teaching and raise the levels of achievement of the pupils. The success of the advisory service should be judged according to these criteria.

In more detail, the advisers would be expected to:
(i) ensure the effective and efficient introduction of the new emergency syllabus,
(ii) assist schools to make sound use of textbooks and other printed curricular materials distributed by the Ministry,
(iii) identify good practice, that is outstanding teaching, including the imaginative use of resources and viable forms of innovation, in order to extend good practice, ensure that the other schools in the region, and when appropriate the Republic as a whole, are aware of the notable achievements of individuals and groups of teachers,
(iv) make use of successful primary teachers for the initial and in-service training of their colleagues in other schools,
(v) demonstrate teaching methods and ways of organizing classwork.

In a country with approximately 100 primary schools, it is a waste of valuable skills, experience and knowledge for members of the advisory service to be concerned with the routine collection and analysis of statistical information. Ministry returns should be kept to the minimum. They should be the responsibility of the head. Clear instructions and simple in-service training should ensure that the Ministry has a supply of sound, up-to-date information as a database for decision making and planning. An important aspect of an adviser's work is to know the group of schools in his/her assigned area well. By working alongside heads and teachers, he/she will be properly informed and in an excellent position to advise the Ministry about the promotion of teachers and the appointment of heads. The selection and training of good heads is probably the most important way to bring about improvement of education in the Republic with a relatively low level of expenditure.

The advisory service should have close links with those concerned with curriculum development and, indeed, from time to time members may well be seconded to assist with the production of curricular material. They should have similar links with the body or the agency responsible for the initial training of teachers.

Information and guidance should be sought from the advisory service on how to ensure that initial training courses are appropriate and meet the needs of the schools (see above). As a department of the Ministry with ostensive knowledge of primary schools, the advisory service has a major part to play in the planning and delivery of in-service training for heads and teachers. It is appropriate that advisers mount and work on inservice courses, especially those which are based in a school in the district. Additionally, advisers will be expected to involve and work closely with others, for example personnel concerned with curriculum development, the initial training of teachers and initiators in community education.

It is an advantage if advisers are recruited from a fairly wide group of educators. They are key people in day-to-day contact with the schools and have direct responsibility for improvement and advance. They need to be selected with rigour and great care. The curriculum vitae of an adviser should include evidence that he/she has been a successful primary teacher and head, in order to have the understanding, credibility and status for working in this phase of education. Advisers should be appointed for a limited time span (say 5 years). They should be required to serve a year's probation and following recruitment, have a period of induction and training.

Careful and valid monitoring of the school system for the Ministry is a most important aspect of the work of the advisory service. This should be carried out by procedures that might include meetings, written reports, returns and other documents. In due course, the Ministry may wish the advisory service to undertake surveys of the acuality of educational provision in the schools and the full inspection of individual institutions. To carry out these tasks successfully, the advisory service needs to be confident, mature in its judgments and very skilled. Considerable caution is necessary before embarking on these developments .

5. planning, Preparation and record keeping

Sound planning, preparation and record keeping are essential components of good teaching. It is envisaged that teachers will use the syllabus as a starting point for planning the work for each term. At the beginning of each week they will have already prepared the lessons they are going to teach, together with visual aids and other material. Keeping suitable records of the work covered by each pupil is essential. By this means teachers can be assured that all members of the class are making good progress.

It might be appropriate to introduce folders, where teachers can keep their lesson preparation notes and plans for each term or year. One folder might be used for each subject in each grade. These can be used for future reference by other teachers and can be kept either in the staff room, if there is one, or in the head's office. This practice, if well carried out, is a good way of motivating teachers, and helping them share aspirins and knowledge. It also assists the supervising of classroom teaching by the head or by advisers who visit the school. Additionally, it is suggested that the Ministry introduces a system of record sheets to be filled by each teacher. Such documents ought to include the dates on which work was started and completed, the skills, the teaching methods and teaching aids used.

6. A resource centre

The former Teacher Training Institute, when compared with other buildings in Hargeisa, is largely undamaged. It is made up of an ostensive set of buildings, which include a hall, lecture rooms, kitchen, workshops, laboratories and boarding accommodation. It lacks furniture and apparatus, and some fistures, but appears to be structurally sound.

The Ministry has put forward a request for funding for the repair and refurbishment of the buildings, in order to bring them back into use for teacher training (see above, Section B, and MOEYS, l991b). Clearly, it is important that use is made of the Institute, but a project of this nature will be very costly and we believe that much better use can be made of extremely scarce resources. We would not want to encourage the Ministry to seek assistance for a large programme of reconstruction and recoupment of the Institute.

Bringing the buildings back into use ought to be carefully planned by the Ministry, and implemented in a step-by-step process over a period of time - realistically, 5-10 years - as resources and funding become available. The most effective way of doing this is to make one or more rooms the base for a particular project. This would mean that the accommodation is brought back into use as it is needed. The renovation at each stage would require a relatively modest level of funding. It needs to include the fitting of doors and windows, where needed, cleaning and decoration, the construction of latrines, a supply of water, and good facilities for secure storage of resources and equipment. Arrangements might need to be made for the homeless families who at present occupy parts of the buildings.

Over a period of time - say 10 years - the site could become the National Education Centre (NEC), with provision for a range of educational functions that are well matched to the specific needs of the education system. The provision might include accommodation for:

(i) the printing of test books, publications (priced and unpriced) and occasional papers;
(ii) the advisory service, both the Chief Adviser and central team and the Hargeisa regional team;
(iii) curricular planning - the preparation of syllabuses, curricular papers and other related documents;
(iv) the writing and production of handbooks for teachers, heads and others, newsletters and occasional papers;
(v) forms of in-service training that require a national contest, e.g. the training of heads;
(vi) a base for visiting consultants;
(vii) the coordinating unit for the initial training of teachers;
(viii) the National Education Library; (is) other roles as the need becomes apparent.

An appeal could be made for contributions of books from schools of education in the UK, organized by Somalilanders working and studying overseas.

After a time, it is envisaged that the National Education Centre will contain a wide range of educational services, with a corresponding number of personnel, each an espert is his/her own field. This will allow cross-fertilisation of ideas, a multidisciplinary approach to the solution of problems and the generation of a greater variety of strategies for the implementation of policies and practices. A high proportion of staff will be working on specific projects and have short-term contracts. We would advocate a system of payment by results for professional staff, rather than a simple salary system.

It is our view that the Ministry will be responsible for creating the framework for the education service. Sound policies, based on understanding, thorough planning and effective administration are essential if the Ministry is to establish an adequate system of schooling. We recommend that the NEC, under the direction of the Minister and the Director General, is given the task of translating policies and plans into practice. The separation or 'distancing' of the Ministry of Education from the NEC should enable each institution to clarify its role and carry out its range of responsibilities satisfactorily.

7. Teachers' centres

Earlier in this section we recommended that almost all the inservice training for teachers should be carried out locally, in the region or the district. Thus the need to travel long distances and the payment of per diems will be reduced. This accords with the Ministry's stated policy for the decentralization of the education service, including giving increased responsibility to heads and local communities. It is suggested that a classroom in a conveniently located school is designated for the in-service training of teachers and that such a room is called a 'teachers' centre'. Each one should become the focal point for the development of education in its region and, in due course, as the number of teachers' centres increases, each district.

After 3-5 years, it is envisaged that teachers will be served and supported by a nationwide network of teachers' centres. It is important that the overall direction and guidance is the responsibility of a senior adviser, whose duties would include ensuring that teachers' centres assist teachers to implement new teaching methods and approaches, respond to new curricular policies and make effective use of the resources, especially textbooks, supplied by the NEC. Even so, teachers' centres need to be encouraged to develop a significant degree of independence and autonomy in policies and practices, in order to meet the particular needs of the heads, teachers and pupils in their schools.

It is suggested that teachers' centres should carry out a wide variety of educational activities, including: meetings for teachers and heads; workshops, lectures and talks; the preparation of teaching materials; the loan of teaching equipment; use of reference books by teachers. Occasionally, the premises might be used by members of the local community on payment of a modest letting charge to be used for supplementing teacher centre resources.

At the start, each teachers' centre should be the responsibility of an adviser, who should run it as one of his/her duties and be based there. In due course, it may be appropriate to extend responsibility to others, for example a head, on a part-time basis. If the centre is especially flourishing and active, it might employ a full-time teachers' centre leader.

Before the opening of a teachers' centre, the room to be used may need some renovation. It should be clean and redecorated, with good doors and windows, and it should be modestly comfortable. Above all, the centre should be a welcoming place for teachers and heads, who should regard it as 'their' centre - and increasingly take responsibility for its care and the activities that take place there. It would be good to fit the walls with pin boards for the display of pupils' work from local schools, educational posters, charts and teaching mater~al. Needless to say, appropriate security is essential, especially facilities for the storage of resources.

Each teachers' centre will require an adequate quantity and range of resources. These might include:

(i) stationery and a variety of kinds of paper,
(ii) small equipment, e.g. scissors, staplers, rulers,
(iii) textbooks - especially those currently being introduced by the NEC,
(iv) a modest reference library,
(v) a spirit duplicator or the equivalent,
(vi) recently produced posters, charts, maps, etc.,
(vii) copies of the newsletter (see below), Ministry circulars, publications and occasional papers.

Before the establishment of a teachers' centre, careful planning and thorough preparation should have taken place. It is recommended that a step-by-step approach be adopted, so that there is ample opportunity to train the advisers who are going to run the centres. All members of the advisory service need time to gain aspirins and acquire the necessary skills and 'know how'. Following this step-by-step approach, a new centre should not be started until the previous one is fully in operation and the staff are quite confident. Teachers, indeed all those involved, need to learn how to make use of the centres and explore ways in which they can be used to improve education for the pupils they teach.

We recommend that the first teachers' centre should be established and piloted in Hargeisa, as part of the project for creating an advisory service (see above and Section E below).

8. The school and its community

In Section B of this report we argue for the setting up of school committees, to support the schools. In the longer run, such community support may well continue to be essential and desirable, as part of the country' 8 commitment to make a break with the centralized system of the previous regime. As well as ensuring that all the available resources are used, community involvement should help to counter any inclination to depend on central government for all the inputs which schools require. It is essential to encourage local people to identify the schools as their schools, and the teachers as members of the community whose status and standard of living must, if necessary, be assured by community action.

Such participation can be encouraged by offering resources to the school on a matching basis, for instance, money for building materials to be matched by money raised locally for builders' wages. Such initiatives could form a significant part of future community development pro~ects, and are likely to require encouragement from a community development worker. Training courses for heads, REOs and DEOs should include sessions on community involvement.

In return, the school should be expected to contribute to the welfare of the community, by:

(a) satisfying its educational needs
(b) supporting its educational aspirations
(c) respecting its culture, values and religion
(d) providing education which is relevant and useful
(e) preparing its pupils to be useful and productive members of society.

In the previous section, we suggested that Somali communities overseas should be approached with requests for support. We foresee such support continuing indefinitely, and we recommend inviting overseas Somalis to contribute to very concrete needs, such as sports kits or science equipment. Such aid is easier to coordinate and also easier to report on to the donors than larger more general activities.

9. Education and nomads

In Somaliland, nomadism is the prevailing mode of livelihood, and social institutions in general are tightly adjusted to the scant resources of an unenviably harsh environment. In the regions, with their hemlock as a focus of distribution, the pastoralists move over many miles in the year, driving their flocks of sheep, goats and herds of camel from pasturage to pasturage and water point to water point.

However, it is believed that significant changes have been taking place in the nomadic system, due partly to the introduction of rural development projects, which have encouraged the emergence of three categories of livestock farmers:

(a) settled rural groups who have taken up mixed farming;
(b) settled rural groups whose main occupation is still herding;
(c) nomadic pastoralists. There is disagreement about the percentage of nomads in the population of Somaliland now. Some sources estimate 70%, while others believe that the proportion is no higher than 30%, because the number of nomads has been falling since Independence. It is argued that this significant decline of the nomadic population is attributable to:

(a) the construction of more water reservoirs
(b) the introduction of kat farming, which increased the number of settled farmers
(c) the substantial growth in the size and number of urban centres
(d) the rise in the demand for labour for urban development projects
(e) the oppressive measures of Barre's regime towards the nomads.

As regards the education of nomadic children, in the past, boarding schools were established in several centres of population. This development helped both urban settlers and, to some extent, nomadic families, as they were now able to place their children in schools and continue their seasonal migrations. However, it was not the perfect solution to the problem of educating nomadic children without divorcing them from their background. The curriculum used in these schools was the same as that of the urban schools, and was therefore inappropriate for nomadic children. In addition, most of the boarding schools were located in or near urban centres. When nomadic children completed their schooling, instead of returning to their home environment they were likely to gravitate towards the big towns, looking for salaried jobs in government offices or private formic.

It is, therefore, safe to say that the education system which existed in the past did not serve the best interests of nomadic parents and their children.

As far as we can see, none of the current plans and proposals for Somali land's education system address this issue. Indeed, we cannot identify an immediate solution to the difficulties it raises. Several suggestions were made to us during our discussions, particularly in response to the paper we prepared for the one-day conference on education (see separate document, avaible from SCF(UK)). These included making use of roving wad ads (Koranic teachers) who move around with the families, with supplementary radio programs. But there i8 no way of knowing how effective such educational provision would be.

We therefore recommend that, at the earliest possible opportunity, an extensive investigation should be undertaken of the whole question: how best to cater for the educational needs of nomadic children without divorcing them from their own background. A project proposal will be found in Section E below (Project Proposal 6).

Finally, although this matter is strictly beyond our terms of reference, we record here our support for the suggestion that the Ministry should conduct an enquiry into the future of secondary and further education. This recommendation reflects the concern expressed by the Minister of Education, heads and other educators in Somaliland and the importance they attached to the need for such an investigation.

D. RECOMMENDATIONS

Coping with the crisis

1. Where needed, school premises (buildings and grounds should be provided.
2. Where necessary, school premises should be repaired and reconstructed.
3. The local community should assist in the provision of school premises and/or their renovation
4. Each child should have sufficient materials to benefit from the instruction he/she receives, e.g. exercise books, pencils. 5. Heads should be provided with books and other materials for the administration and proper conduct of their schools.
6. Schools should be provided with suitable and sufficient furniture for the pupils and staff.
7. Assistance should be sought from the local community for 4, 5 and 6.
8. Heads and teachers should receive guidance in the effective implementation of the Emergency Syllabus.
9. The Ministry, with help from SCF, should prepare guidance in the form of papers and a teachers' handbook.
10. The handbook should be used for in-service training.
11. All children attending schools in affected areas should receive instruction on mine awareness.
12. PROPOSAL 1: The Provision of test books 15 For the teaching of the Emergency Syllabus: Pack
- each teacher should be provided with a set of textbooks for all grades in the subject he/she teaches;
- the first priority should be Grades 1 and 2, followed by Grades 3 and 4;
- teachers of English should also be provided with carefully selected textbooks.
13. Teachers should be paid a salary related to the cost of living. 16
14. Every school should be staffed appropriately, i.e. with a head and suitable qualified, paid teachers, according to the number on the 16 roll.
15. The Ministry should make effective use of the pool of qualified and experienced staff.
16. PROPOSAL 2: A register of teachers. A register should be compiled, to include:
- both teachers and other educators
- both those employed and those unemployed.
17. The Ministry (REOs and DEOs) should visit schools regularly in order to assist and encourage the heads and teachers.
18. Heads and staff should be helped to make effective use of textbooks and consumable materials.
19. Heads and teachers should be helped to adopt sound planning, preparation and methods for teaching, by the production of a teachers' guide, to be developed by the Ministry with help from SCF.
20. Heads should be given advice about the proper conduct of their schools.
21. PROPOSAL 3: Provision of in-service training workshops
- a series of regional in-service training workshops should be held later in 1992:
- the workshops should involve 250 heads and teachers:
- they should be led by a team including Ministry staff and external consultants.
22. Local communities should be encouraged to support their schools in practical ways.
23. The Somali community overseas should also be approached for support to schools.
24. In accordance with the stated policy of the government, the foundations of a more decentralized system of education should be laid.
25. The mobilization of community participation should be encouraged.
26. Careful consideration should be given to providing initial training for teachers, including school-based courses.
27. PROPOSAL 4: Curriculum and materials development

To include:

- careful consideration by the Ministry of ideas and plans for curricular development and the production of textbooks for Somaliland;
- writers and others being employed on fixed contracts:
- training to be offered to writers, editors, etc.
- advice to be sought on the equipping of a production unit and print shop for the Ministry.
28. Advice should be sought on the whole question of introducing English into primary schools, both as a subject and as a medium of instruction.
29. Plans should be made for courses to prepare school staff for the teaching of English. 23 30. Plans should also be made for courses to train school staff to teach other subjects in English.
31. PROPOSAL 5: Setting up advisory service. The advisers' duties in summary are:

- to support and encourage teachers;
- to guide and support heads;
- to foster links between the school and its community:
- to undertake in-service training of heads and teachers;
- to identify good teachers and heads for promotion;
- to establish and maintain effective links with personnel concerned with curriculum development;
- to establish and maintain effective links with the agencies responsible for the initial training of teachers.

32. Heads should take responsibility for preparing and returning routine information to the Ministry.
33. Considerable importance should be attached to the selection, appointment, training and probation of the advisers.
34. Schools should keep an adequate record of each pupil's progress in the subjects in the national curriculum.
35. Teachers should plan and prepare their work adequately and keep records of what has been taught.
36. Heads should ensure that 34 and 35 are carried out satisfactorily.
37. The Hargeisa Teacher Training Institute buildings, after thorough and careful planning, should be brought back into use by a step-by-step process over a number of years.
38. Each step in this process should be project related.
39. In due course, the site should develop into the National Education Centre (NEC), with provision for a range of functions.
40. Steps should be taken to ensure that having a range of activities on the same site leads to a multidisciplinary approach to the solution of problems and cross-fertilisation of ideas.
41. Staff at the NEC should be on project-related fixed term contracts, operating on a system of payment by results.
42. The Ministry should be concerned with policy making and planning, and the NEC should be given the task of implementation. Each to have a clearly defined role, with some 'distancing' between the two.
43. Most in-service training of heads and teacher should be carried out locally.
44. A national network of teachers' centres should be established - each occupying a room in a primary school.
45. Running the teachers' centre should become one of the adviser's duties.
46. The teachers' centres should carry out a wide variety of functions.
47. A step-by-step approach should be adopted in the establishment of teachers' centres.
48. School committees should be encouraged to take a continuing role in the running of schools.
49. In return, schools should be seen to contribute to community welfare.
50. Somalilanders overseas should also have a supporting role in the longer term.
51. PROJECT PROPOSAL 6: Research on education and nomads

A research project should be funded, to:
- establish the educational needs of nomadic children;
- investigate the best ways of meeting them;
- publish its findings on the subject.

52. The Ministry should conduct an enquiry into the future of secondary and further education.

E. PROJECT PROPOSALS

Project proposal 1: Supplying primary schools with emergency teaching materials, Somaliland, March-June 1992.

This proposal is designed to get some educational materials into the hands of practicing teachers as quickly as possible. It is needed because:
(a) none of the schools which are now functioning have any books at all; those which they had before the civil war have been looted:
(b) half of the teachers currently working are untrained and inexperienced:
(c) the task of developing a new primary curriculum and producing new textbooks will be a relatively long one. The target group is serving teachers (currently about 1,200, due to rise this year to 2,000) in primary schools throughout Somali land.

Obiectives:

The general aim is to improve the standard of teaching in primary schools quickly, by supplying teachers (rather than pupils) with teaching materials, however imperfect, to fill the gap until new text hooks can be developed.

The more specific objectives are:

1. To reprint one textbook or teachers' guide, selected by the Ministry, for each of the 8 or 9 subjects being taught in primary schools, for Grades 1-4.

2. To make a set of the reprinted books in each subject available to each currently serving teacher of that subject in government schools in Somaliland (a total of 300 copies of each text).

The proposal originated from IEC's original project proposal, as presented to SCF(UX) in August 1991, as amended after discussion with SCF and the Ministry of Education.

It relates to the current SCF program me in Somaliland by putting more essential educational materials into primary schools in response to the immediate emergency.

Methods

The proposed procedure is as follows:

1. The Ministry selects the books it wants reprinted from those it has collected in Hargeisa and those which IEC has identified in London (done).
2. Copies of the books are brought to England for reproduction (done).
3. SCF or IEC organises the printing as cheaply and as quickly as possible.
4. SCF air freights the printed books via Djibouti.
5. SCF and the Ministry organise the distribution of the books to the relevant teachers in the schools.

Timetable

March 1992 Printing costed and put in hand in UK end-May 1992 Printed books ready for shipment to Hargeisa June 1992 Distribution of books begins, in locations where in-service workshops are being held: September 1992 All functioning primary schools have sets of books all subjects.

This provision of textbooks is one of the Ministry's short-term priorities, but the Ministry has no financial resources or printing equipment. Our proposal is that SCF should fund this activity, as an emergency measure to raise the quality of education in the schools.

The Ministry has been consulted about the design of this proposal, and has approved it.

Primary school children will benefit from this project through an immediate improvement in the content of teaching. < Monitoring, evaluation, impact

We suggest that monitoring and evaluation should focus on the way in which the project is implemented, rather than its educational impact. Apart from the performance of the UK organizations in relation to the timetable and the budget, this project will provide the first test of the Ministry's capacity to organise the systematic distribution of materials to schools.

Lessons for Policy and Practice

The project will provide the Ministry with its first opportunity to offer concrete support to the teachers. It will also be a significant test of the Ministry's ability to inform teachers effectively about the sound use of teaching material.

Estimated budget

Shipping original books from Hargeisa to Cambridge 50
Printing and binding 300 copies s 44 titles 44,000
Administration at 5% 2,200
Freight Cambridge-Djibouti-Hargeisa (SCF)
Local distribution (SCF/Ministry)
Contingencies at 10%

Project proposal 2: Setting up a register of teachers and other educators, Somaliland, March-July 1992.

The aim of setting up a register of teachers and other educators is to provide the Ministry with a database of candidates for posts at all levels in the education service. It is needed because:

(a) no records have survived from before the civil war;
(b) people with relevant training, aspirins and job expectations are constantly arriving from outside Somaliland.

The target group whom the project will assist are those in the Ministry at all levels and in every region who are responsible for appointing education staff.

Obiectives:

The overall aim is to provide much needed information about the human resources available to assist in the regeneration of the school system.

More specifically, the objectives are: 1. To enable all teachers and educators living in Somaliland to make themselves known to the Ministry;
2. To provide the Ministry with the manpower information it needs for both urgent current staffing and future planning decisions.
3. To maintain the information in an accurate, up-to-date and accessible form;
4. To put into place the beginnings of an effective and appropriate unit for the collection and analysis of data for the Ministry.

The proposal originated from the Ministry's Educational Report (Hargeisa, 10.10.91) and from our discussions with the Director General and other senior staff at the Ministry in Hargeisa. It relates to the current SCF program me in Somaliland by initiating an essential activity in support of primary schools, both in the current crisis and in the longer term.

Methods

We propose that SCF's Educational Coordinator should work with the appropriate member of the Ministry's staff to:

1. Design a simple system of data collection, storage and retrieval;
2. Obtain the necessary equipment and materials;
3. Select and supervise a clerical officer to be responsible for the register;
4. Encourage teachers and others to contribute information and keep it updated;
5. Ensure that the information is not only disseminated, but put to good use;
6. Monitor the effectiveness of the register.

Timetable

March 1992 Ministry staff draw up a list of the information needed from each person registering. Responsible manager and clerical officer identified.

SCF education coordinator assists in design of a simple record system, including a questionnaire for completion by the educators.

The equipment and supplies needed are ordered through SCF.

Information about the register and its purpose is publicized through Radio Hargeisa, newspapers, rechannel and district education offices.

April 1992 The office is set up. A system of data collection begins to operate.

May 1992 Data is processed, analysed and distributed. June 1992 Preliminary assessment of value of initial information.

Review of system: July 1992-- Clerical officer continues to operate system parttime, reporting regularly to responsible manager.

The setting up of this register is one of the Ministry's short-term priorities. But the Ministry has no resources to contribute, apart from staff time and office accommodation. We propose that SCF should provide all the funding for the initial period.

The Ministry has been consulted on the design of this proposal. Primary school children will benefit from this project by an improvement in the standard of teaching, as better qualified and more experienced staff are appointed to posts at all levels in the education service. In the longer term, they will benefit from the effects of informed manpower planning.

Monitoring, evaluation. impact

The responsible Ministry manager and the SCF education coordinator will be expected to submit a report on the project in July 1992. After that, it will become a purely Ministry activity, and the Ministry will decide how to monitor it.

Lessons for policv and practice

The Ministry will acquire important basic information on which to base manpower planning decisions. It will also acquire the nucleus of a unit for the collection and analysis of data.

Estimated budget

5-6,000 (for SCF to cost)
4 weeks (over 4 months) of SCF educational coordinator's time (salary cost plus overheads)
support for time spent by Ministry manager and clerk, 1-6 months part-time
internal travel and per diems
office equipment and supplies
purchase and transport from UK
filing cabinet or card index system
typewriter
500 manilla folders or pocket files cards on which to store entries typing paper, carbon paper, correction fluid photocopying

Project proposal 3: In-service training workshops for primary school teachers, Somaliland, July-September 1992.

These workshops are designed to improve classroom teaching in the short run, i.e. in a situation where teachers and students have few, if any, learning materials and resources.

The target group is 250 heads and classroom teachers from primary schools in 5 regional capitals: Hargeisa, Borama, Burao, Las Anod, Erigavo (other locations could be added or substituted if necessary).

Objectives:

The aim at all levels, from class teacher to the Director General and the Minister of Education, is to:
1. bring about a fundamental shift in attitudes towards primary education, so that:
(a) successful teachers of the primary grades are valued for their experience, knowledge, expertise and self-reliance
(b) good teaching is possible by making use of readily available resources in the local environment.

More specifically, the objectives are:

1. To make existing schools better, by enabling teachers to:
(a) improve the environment for learning (cleaning classrooms, making and using visual aids)
(b) use readily available resources for learning (e.g. stones, drink tins, animals, plants and trees well known to the children, local people)
(c) improve the planning, preparation and teaching of their lessons.

2. To change attitudes and develop the skills and understanding of Ministry staff, both national and regional, in Participatory training and support of teachers.

The proposal originated from the Ministry's Educational Report (Hargeisa 10.10.91) and our own discussions with teachers and Ministry staff.

It relates to the current SCF programme in Somaliland by supporting a clearly defined and finite activity in support of primary schools in the current crisis.

Methods

The proposal is for 5 workshops, each 6 days long, to be held in local elementary schools. The suggested staffing is as follows:

1 expatriate primary teacher trainer (course director)
1 UK-based Somali educator or SCF Education Coordinator
1 Ministry teacher trainer
1 Ministry inspector
1 regional education officer
1 district education officer
1 district inspector.

The course to be run as a workshop, with emphasis on helping teacher colleagues to teach more effectively. There will be no lectures or exhortation sessions but a lot of help. Everyone must participate, even the Minister should he join the course. It is important that heads are involved. Aspirins and research indicate conclusively that the role of the head, especially his/her support, is crucial to the successful implementation of ideas and methods learned during in-service training. He/she is the enabler and the mediator.

Timetable

1 week preparation in Hargeisa (first 4 staff in above list)
Day 1 Travel to the region
Meet REO, RI, DI etc.
Meet head and staff of host school
Day 2 Preparation of school by the team and the head and staff
Put up an exhibition of good work from good schools
Day 3 Introduction - very brief (no ceremony), explanation of the shape, pattern, rationale for the course

The preparation and making of visual aids
Presentation by teachers - each group to explain why they chose the topic
how they made the teaching aid
how they will use it in class
Day 4 Using real things

Introduction - brief explanation of the task
Practical work (e.g. the teaching of addition of numbers by making use of small stones)
Presentations
Day 5 Planning (use made of a set of guidelines on planning, preparation and teaching)
(i) Preparation (ii) Sharing good practice

Teaching (iii)concluding remarks (iv) Party
This timetable is repeated 5 times by the same team over 7-8 weeks, or 3 times each by 2 teams over 4 weeks.

This series of workshops is one of the Ministry's short-term priorities, currently scheduled by Director of Curriculum and Training for June-July 1992.

Ideally, this activity should be co-funded by the Ministry and SCF. In the current crisis this is impracticable for the Ministry. Matching funds might be available from FCO, UNICEF, UNHCR. The project partners would be the Ministry of Education, SCF and possibly IEC.

The Ministry has been consulted and agrees the design of this proposal.

Primary school children will benefit from this project by an immediate improvement in their educational environment and standards of primary school teaching. The issue of sustainability is not addressed, as this is a crisis measure, but this model could be used to bring about planned change in schools and is capable of adaptation.

Monitoring. evaluation, impact

The course director will write a brief summary report. Ministry staff will be able to observe future indicators of quality of teaching and use of visual aids, local environment. Participants should display improved morale and confidence.

Lessons for Policy and practice

The Ministry will expect to learn more about the potential for decentralized school-based in-service training for teachers. Above all, it will be an opportunity to train the trainers and administrators assisting in the development of teaching methods, skills and understanding of how children learn.

Obiectives

The general aims are to:

1. Plan, develop and produce the best possible printed educational materials for Somali land's primary schools.

2. Develop the Ministry's capacity to undertake this task in a flexible and sustainable way, with minimum reliance on help from outside.

The more specific objectives are:
1. To assist in the identification and training of a group of curriculum designers and test book writers.
2. To support the process of decision-making about primary curriculum and test book requirements in all subjects.
3. To contribute to the planning and writing of the initial textbooks.
4. To help plan a small production unit, to include capacity for word processing, editing, layout, illustration, camera work, printing and binding.
5. To provide training for a core staff for the production unit.

The proposal originates from the consultancy team's discussions with the Director General and his senior staff, as well as our experience of the training needs for the development of printed educational materials in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa.

It relates to SCF's current Somaliland program me by providing support directly targeted to the raising of the quality of education in primary schools.

The Ministry has not yet been consulted on the design of this proposal.

Primary school children will benefit from the project because the textbooks supplied to them and their teachers will be developed and produced by staff well trained on the job and exposed to upto- date international thinking and practice.

Monitoring, evaluation. Impact

Both Ministry staff and their visiting counterparts should be required to submit written reports on all the activities undertaken. Additionally, we recommend SCF, or the funding organization(s) to include an independent evaluation in year 3, to provide a basis for the consideration of any continuation of the project.

Lessons for policy and Practice

The Ministry will expect to acquire useful firsthand aspirins of a flexible approach to textbook writing. It will also be able to assess the usefulness of a small in-house print production unit.

The proposal is designed to provide a system for monitoring and supporting the work of primary schools over the medium and long term (2-10 years). (See also Notes towards a project for the establishment of an advisory service, Appendix 5.)

The target group is teachers and heads in all government supported primary schools in Somaliland (currently 50 schools, planned to reach at least the previous total of 174), and in due course for the secondary schools.

Obiectives: The general aim is to support and encourage the development of a new primary school system appropriate to the culture, needs and circumstances of Somaliland, by developing a group of effective and stimulating advisers.

More specific objectives are: 1. To provide a flexible framework for implementing Ministry policy in primary schools,
2. To provide training for heads and teachers in primary schools,
3. To provide written guidance for heads and teachers,
4. To establish an education newsletter,
5. To set up a system of school visits and reporting,
6. To build up a record of successful methods and procedures.

The proposal originated from the consultancy team's experience and evaluation of two systems of school supervision which operated previously in Somalia (the Ministry Inspectorate and the IITT system of teacher training supervisors).

It relates to the current SCF programme in Somaliland by providing support for a centrally important part of the Ministry's work over a 4-year timespan.

Methods

The proposal is:
1. to appoint (a) a team of 4 or 5 advisers in the Ministry (b) 2 or 3 advisers in each of the 5 regions (c) a consultant counterpart for a 4-year period.
2. to arrange 3 shorter on-the-job training consultancies, associated with the introduction of the service in a step by- step Process.
3. To conduct 2 workshops of the kind proposed in Project proposal 3 above.
4. To conduct a workshop for heads in Hargeisa.
5. To produce printed guidance and training materials for teachers.
6. To visit schools and report on such visits.
7. To record successful procedures and methods for future use.
8. To prepare reports for the Ministry and possibly also for wider circulation.

Funding: The Ministry should cover the costs of local staff, transport and supplies. SCF (preferably with ODA or UN support) to fund the cost of the adviser and short consultancies.

The Ministry has been consulted and agrees the design of this proposal.

Primary school children will benefit by improved standards of teaching and school administration, resulting from on-the-job training and the development of printed training materials for teachers.
Monitoring, evaluation, impact
Arrangements for internal evaluation and reporting to the Ministry and SCF are suggested in the Notes (see Appendis 5). A separate independent evaluation at the end of 3 years is also recommended.
Ministry staff will aspect to observe indicators of improvement in the quality of teaching and improved confidence among school staff.
Lessons for policy and Practice
The project should help the Ministry to implement an effective and well proven method of supporting teachers, which replaces the 'top down' methods of a centralized, and often immobilised, inspectorate.

Project proposal 6: Research on education and nomads, Somaliland and UK, 1992-1993

The aim of this research proposal is to Investigate the best ways of meeting the educational needs of nomadic children in Somaliland, without divorcing them from their background. This i8 very important because:
(a) nomadic pastoralism is the predominant way of life in Somaliland; almost 93% of the population depends on livestock-related earnings, and rural dwellers depend on meat and milk for essential nutrition:
(b) a large proportion of the population is believed to be still practising Pastoralism:
(c) none of the past or existing systems of educational provision has successfully addressed the problem.

The target group whom the research will primarily assist are the policy makers and funders working on the development of a new structure of education for Somali land. In the longer term, the beneficiaries will be the children of nomadic families, who should be offered primary education more suited to their needs and circumstances.

Obiectives

The project's general aims are: 1. To enable the Ministry to plan appropriate educational provision for nomadic children:
2. To provide nomadic parents and children with the opportunity for choice between preparation for a nomadic livelihood and an urban one.

More specific objectives are:

3. To survey the existing professional literature on the education of nomadic communities;
4. To undertake new research into the characteristics of nomadism in Somaliland and of the kind of education which would be appropriate;
5. To make the results of the investigation available both to the Ministry and others interested in the development of new education system in Somaliland;
6. If possible, to publish the results so that they are accessible to educators elsewhere.

The proposal originated from the l-day conference in Hargeisa, whose participants included the IEC team, senior Somali educators, and representatives of both the Ministry and SCF(UK) in Hargeisa. The paper we prepared for the conference, a response from one of the participants and the minutes of the discussion are to be found in the conference report.

It relates to the current SCF program me in Somaliland by providing sound foundations for future policy-making in primary education.

Methods and timetable

The research will take place in 3 phases, combining part-time and full-time work. We propose that an experienced Somaliland educator should be selected to undertake the task.

Phase I (6 months)

Part-time research outside Somaliland, probably in the UK, to:
1. find and examine any relevant written material available on education for Somali nomads;
2. identify and consult anthropologists and educators who have worked on Somali nomadism.
3. collect relevant documents and other materials;
4. investigate the assassins of any relevant reports on workdone in other parts of the world on communities with similar needs.

Phase II (4 months)

This phase is full-time. The researcher should visit Somaliland to investigate and assess:
1. the trends of change in nomadism in Somaliland;
2. the lifestyles of nomadic families;
3. the advantages and disadvantages of nomadism for the population of Somaliland;
4. the effectiveness of both boarding schools and day schools
for the nomadic community and their impact on this

F APPENDICES

Appendix 1: SOMALILAND REPUBLIC. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, YOUTH AND SPORTS

To: The Chairman of the National Assembly
The President of the Republic
The Second National Congress
date: 1.10.91
Subject: THE SECOND REPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, YOUTH AND SPORTS
Sirs,
I am herewith sending you a brief summary report about the aims and objectives of the Ministry, which was previously submitted to the Assembly on 20.8.91.

1. The establishment of the Ministry of Education
2. The aims and objectives of the new education
3. The medium of instruction
4. The rights and responsibilities of the teacher
5. The educational work plan
6. The emergency needs of the Ministry.

As the secretariat of the Second Congress has requested, we have extracted this report from:
(a) the general report of the Ministry
(b) the outcome of the teachers' seminar 'The goal of the new education', which was held on 23-30 May and 3-7 July 1991.

I. THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
1. The Minister 2
. Director General
3. Directorates
(a) Department of Schools
1. primary schools section
2. secondary schools section
3. vocational and technical schools
(b) Department of Administration
1. personnel section
2. finance section
3. records
4. stores
(c) Department of Training and Curriculum Development 1. curriculum development section
2. training section
3. examination section
4. book printing section
5. seminar section (d) Department of Inspectorate (e) Department of Planning and Projects (f) Adult Education Department (g) Youth and Sports Department

II. AIMS

Education that:
1. is free for all
2. is based on Islamic values
3. enables citizens to acquire useful skills and knowledge
4. is based on our country's needs and works against anything which contradicts our religion and culture
5. builds self-confidence, helps with problem-solving and creates open-mindedness
6. responds to the scientific developments taking place in the world
7. is based on our country's environment, enriches our culture and traditions and is consistent with our Islamic religion
8. encourages and draws out the citizen's potential and talents 9. is based on quality
10. is based on 60% technical and vocational schools and 40% general schools.

III. THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

As the Somali language has, in the past, been a handicap in international communications, and as there are not enough printed resource materials printed in Somali, we propose the following:

1. that Somali be taught as a subject
2. that, as Arabic, with its vast material resources, has already been learned in Koranic school, and facilitates the learning of Islamic religion, it should be adopted as the medium of instruction in Grades 1-4
3. that English should be adopted as the medium of instruction for intermediate and secondary schools.

IV. RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A TEACHER

Public attitudes towards teachers have been discussed, and it has been established that teachers are considered to be:
1. contemptible and poverty-stricken people
2. inconsiderate and ignorant
3. lacking in social consciousness
4. a corrupt and inefficient group.

Other outcomes of the discussion were:
1. that education has stagnated and come to a standstill
2. that intellectuals have deserted the country in pursuit of their own interests
3. that the fact that teachers do not prepare their lessons is indicative of their lack of commitment.
In order to restore teachers' reputation and credibility in society, the following steps need to be taken:
1. society should clearly define the social status of a teacher
2. professional development courses should be made available for teachers
3. secure income, suitable accommodation, medical care and transport to and from work should be provided for teachers
4. automatic salary increments should be received every two years, and orphaned and crippled children of teachers should be cared for.
5. all the other recommendations of the seminar paper should be implemented.

V. THE MINISTRY'S WORKPLAN. SHORT-TERM

7. Opening primary schools in all regions, districts, villages, and any other populated areas. Opening a teacher training college drafting a new school curriculum research on
(a) the damage and achievements of the war
(b) statistical survey of orphans and disabled children repairing and re-equipping schools, establishing a carpentry and joinery workshop appealing to overseas bodies for aid and assistance, exploring ways of establishing technical and vocational schools re-opening home economics and adult (literacy) centres

10. ensuring that every member of society understands the importance of education, through social development projects

11. organizing sports clubs, preparing grounds and other recreational facilities

12. encouraging and supporting youth organizations.

VI. THE EMERGENCY NEEDS OF THE MINISTRY

1. To meet teachers' needs
2. To repair and re-equip (a) education offices (b) all kinds of schools
3. Materials and equipment for preparing the school curriculum
4. Getting essential revenue
5. Getting transport and fuel.

signed: Hussein Elmi Warsame, Director General
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports

Appendix 2: Terms of reference of the consultancy

1. Obligations of IEC

1.1 To propose a written plan for the MOEYS to establish an appropriate program me of retraining for primary school teachers to serve Somali land. The establishment of teacher training facilities for school leavers as a secondary objective should be researched.

The mission should consider the establishment of a system of supervision for primary education in its report.

A plan of action, preliminary budget and proposed role for IEC (if appropriate) should be produced.

1.2 To propose the most appropriate way forward for the MOEYS to develop a new primary education curriculum in Somaliland.

This should include a review of existing material, an assessment of the position of the MOEYS and identification of relevant skilled educationalists available in Somaliland.

The report should outline a plan of action that includes the resources (human and administrative) required to undertake the task and the production of new teaching materials if required. A preliminary budget should be provided as well as a proposed role (if appropriate) for IEC.

1.3 To assess the proposal of an MOEYS educational resource centre in Somali land. To define its most appropriate role and how it would support teacher training and curriculum development. To outline the requirements of this centre and provide a preliminary budget.

1.4 In order to meet the responsibilities 1.1-1.3 IEC will provide three consultants (to be IEC employees), to be agreed with SCF, for the mission. These should consist of one Somali educationalist, one IEC consultant and one general education consultant (with curriculum specialization if possible).

The consultants should visit Somaliland for a period of approsimately four weeks commencing no later than the end of January 1992. A further week's work in the UK will be undertaken.

1.5 To collect over a one month period, any educational materials in Somali relevant to the purposes of the mission from sources outside the country (primarily the UK),of which some will be taken to Somaliland on the mission as samples.

1.6 To produce a written report for the MOEYS and SCF detailing its findings within one month of return to the UK.

1.7 To make the necessary international travel, visa and insurance arrangements (medical, personal and otherwise) for the sonsultants.

2. Obligations of SCF

2.1 SCF will provide the IEC team with support from its offices in Djibouti, Hargeisa and Boroma in order to facilitate the smooth running of the mission. This will include assistance with local transport, accommodation a nd administrative support. Support will also be given with the preparation of budgets.

Appendix 3: Suqqestions for mine awareness education in schools

A Norwegian team visited Hargeisa while we were there, who were planning an integrated mine clearing and awareness project. One of its members, Mr Alf Bjarkoy, made the following suggestions for schools: A simple visual session or program me emphasizing the need to find every single piece of dangerous explosive and the importance of respect for life.
It should cover:
1. Indicators: dead animals, holes in the ground, safety caps etc. from antipersonnel weapons (use photos), areas of former military camps, roads going through narrow defiles.
2. Teaching recognition of mines, ammunition. Use silkscreen printing, 'models' (i.e. real samples rendered safe, which Pioneer corps could be asked to provide).
3. Marking and reporting: making a circle of stones, who to tell.
4. How to move out of mined area: probing with a knife or pointed stick.

Responsibility for organizing a pilot program me in Hargeisa could be assigned to a group of currently unemployed teachers. They would need some graphic materials, the services of a graphic designer/illustrator, the cooperation of the Pioneer corps and Perhaps some assistance with transport and logistics.

Appendix 4: GUIDELINES FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS

Number 1: MAKING GOOD USE OF WHAT YOU HAVE

1. You have been supplied with textbooks for the subject/s that you teach. Take great care of them. They are very precious.

They are your responsibility.

2. Read each textbook very carefully. Write notes in your preparation book. Make sure that you know what the children need to learn.

3. If you do not understand what is set down, ask another teacher for help. Doing this shows that you are a good teacher.

4. Think carefully about what you are going to teach BEFORE you go to school. Write down in your preparation book: (i) What you are going to say to the children (ii) What you are going to write on the blackboard (iii) What the children are going to do.

5. Prepare the blackboard and other teaching materials before the lesson.

6. Write very neatly on the blackboard so that the children can read and copy what you have written. It is a good idea to leave gaps and ask the children to fill in the spaces. This will show if the children can read what you have written and understand the lesson.

7. Whenever possible use REAL MATERIALS to help the children to understand what Yaw want them to learn. For example: (i) small stones to show the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of numbers, (ii) bark and a glass bottle or paper to show what is ough and what is smooth, (iii) a tin lid with soil and stones to show mountains and rivers, with twigs for forests, (iv) cut out pictures from newspapers or magazines to make wall charts, (v) use leaves to talk about different shapes and areas, (vi) if available, use drink cans to measure volume, (vii) use string or rope for experiments in science, for example the pendulum.

8. Get the children to use their OWN LANGUAGE (Somali). For example: (i) to describe a piece of old mat, (ii) to speak about the fruit from a tree or a leaf from a bush, (iii) to describe another child, (iv) to speak about a garment being worn, (v) to describe how a camel walks.

Write on the blackboard what the children have said. Get them to read their OWN WORDS.

9. Read poems or say verse that you remember from your childhood.

10. Invite older members of your community to come into the school. Ask them to tell the children traditional stories or describe what life was like when they were children.

11. Use the textbook as a GUIDE (a map, a compass, a set of stars for navigation) to help you find your way NOT as a crutch because you are lame. Knowledge and understanding come from PEOPLE; books are merely an aid.

12. Use paper -- any paper available: newspapers, cartons, wrappers, cardboard -- for charts, diagrams and pictures, to help the children to understand and learn. Draw out in pencil, then use charcoal or felt tipped pen.

13. Use charcoal for making sketches and diagrams. You can prepare small sticks for use by the children by heating twigs in a tin.

NIMAAM DHIDIDINI MA DHERGO: (He who does not perspire eats not his fill)

Appendix 5: NOTES TOWARDS A PROJECT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ADVISORY SERVICE

Elsewhere in this report, there are references to the need for the Ministry of Education to evolve clearly defined policies, together with sound planning, which will ensure the effective implementation of these policies. This is particularly relevant when considering how the Ministry will monitor the performance of the school system and provided support and guidance to teachers, heads and others in the education service.

As part of the long term (5-year) development of education, the Ministry may decide to establish an advisory service that incorporates characteristics which are described in the test of this report (Section C). If such a policy is adopted, there will be a need for a development plan, setting of the step-by-step approach necessary for the successful creation of a national advisory service for education. The details of a possible aid funded project are set out below. (See also the project proposal which forms part of Section E of the report.)

TOWARDS AN ADVISORY SERVICE: a consultancy. Time span 3 years Stages
1. The appointment of the Chief Adviser - see Note (i)
2. The appointment of 6 advisers - see Note (ii)
3. The appointment of a consultant counterpart - see Note (iii)
4. The first consultancy - to last 6 months - see Note (iv)
5. The step-by-step appointment of advisers based in the (other 4) regions

Notes

Note (i) The appointment of the Chief Adviser

The appointment of the Chief Adviser is crucial to the success of this initiative. It may be appropriate to select someone from outside the former inspectorate. He/she needs to be young, vigorous with plenty of stamina, be able to think from first principles and be sufficiently professionally secure to undertake menial, routine tasks and regard primary class teachers as colleagues.

Note (ii) The appointment of the advisory team It is estremely important that the utmost care is exercised in the selection of the team of advisers. The criteria used in the appointment of the Chief Adviser are equally relevant.

Note (iii) The appointment of a consultant counterpart The consultant or counterpart has a key role to play in the establishment of a sound advisory service. Great care should be exercised when making the appointment. He/she might be from within the Republic, an expatriate Somali or British. It is suggested that the consultancy initially is for a period of 6 months, with further annual 2-month consultancies over a period of 3 years. (a) The consultancy should take into account the effects of the civil war on the education system. This should be the main starting point. The project should be in harmony with the culture of Somaliland, take account of social and professional values and be aware of aspirations. The establishment of a team made up of advisers and the consultant is crucial to the success of the project. (b) Thorough preliminary discussion and negotiated agreement are essential in order to make decisions about the main strands and parameters of this project. (c) During the first consultancy, the advisory team may wish to address the following issues, which are also intended as an agenda for negotiation:

(1) Plan, prepare for and conduct 2 workshops for heads and teachers in primary schools, as outlined in Sections C and E. The aim is to give support, encouragement and help with the practicalities of teaching.

(2) Plan, prepare and conduct a workshop for the heads of primary schools in the Hargeisa area.

(3) Prepare a primary teachers' handbook which contains instructions about the duties of a class teacher, for example, lesson planning, preparation and the keeping of pupils' records, guidance about teaching methods and advice about making teaching materials. The handbook will be used for a variety of purposes, for example, during in-service training, by heads at staff meetings, as information for the Minister and colleagues at the Ministry.

(4) The establishment of a newsletter, which could have the title 'Kulan' (Get Together). This will be of modest size (3 pages) and might appear once a term. A copy will be sent to every elementary and intermediate school. It might contain information about what is taking place int the primary phase of education nationally - 'News from Somali land', articles written by advisers - for example details of surveys, courses and other initiatives and the implications for primary schools, contributions from heads and teachers about teaching methods that have proved to be successful, interesting and significant events in the life of a school.

(5) The production of aides memoire, protocols, forms and other papers, as seem appropriate, to assist advisers to carry out their duties efficiently and effectively, and for use in the training of adviser colleagues, especially those who have been appointed recently.

(6) Make day visits to the primary schools in the Hargeisa region and write a brief report on each visit.

(7) Use the information collected and the experience gained during the visits to primary schools to write a document/report for the Ministry and, perhaps, for wider circulation. It is envisaged that the report will contain evidence, description, evaluation and recommendations.

(8) Keeping a careful record of the procedures and methods that are successful. This information will be valuable when subsequent steps are taken in the establishment of an advisory service. v (9) At the end of the consultancy, a report to the Ministry which describes and evaluates what has been achieved and gives clear guidance to senior civil servants about future policy decisions with recommendations for the next stage in the establishment of a national service.

(10) END PIECE -

What is set out above are the main recommendations for the consultancy project aimed at the establishment of an adequate advisory service. Needless to say, some of the suggestions will be deemed to be inappropriate or unsuitable for a variety of reasons, and others will be included that deal with different, more pertinent, issues.

Appendix 6: IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR HEADS

In-service training courses for heads might consider some of the following issues:

1. A range of straightforward strategies aimed at improving the performance of teachers.
2. Assistance for untrained, unqualified teachers
3. The organization of resources, their care, storage and deployment.
4. Managing the paperwork: ensuring that the modest returns required by the Ministry are valid, accurate, neatly presented and dealt with promptly.
5. The care, cleanliness of the premises and grounds.
6. Display of posters, charts, maps and pupils' work in the school and in all the classrooms.
7. Matters connected with security of the premises.
8. The condition, care and repair of furniture.
9. Managing the office: simple strategies for managing the head's office effectively.
10. Introducing new teaching materials, e.g. textbooks, maps. charts, etc.
11. Conducting staff meetings concerned with: (i) routine matters (ii) in-service training.

12. Opportunities for heads to share experience, skills, knowledge.
13. Planning and preparation: Assisting teachers and ensuring that they: (i) plan in outline work to be covered in a half term (ii) prepare in more detail the lessons before the start of each week (iii)prepare in considerable detail lessons to be delivered the nest day (iv) mark the pupils'work regularly (v) keep a record of each pupil's progress.
14. Helping teachers who have problems (i) connected with their work in school (ii) of a more personal nature - elementary counselling.
15. Conducting meetings with a range of people - other than school staff - for a variety of purposes.
16. Deriving benefit from the visits by advisers.
17. Considering the educational issues that currently appear to be important.

References

Mohamoud Nur Alim. The teaching of mathematics in England, Wales and Scotland: a comparative study, University of London Institute of Education, Associateship Report, 1969/70

John Drysdale, Somaliland 1991, Report and Reference, Global-Stats Ltd, Hove, 1991 INCS (1991)

A report of the assessment mission to northern Somalia from March 28th to April 8th to the Inter-NGO Committee for Somalia (UK and Kenya) London. INCS, Apparel 1991

I. M. Lewis: A modern history of Somalia: nation and state in the Horn of Africa, London, Longman, 1980

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (199la) Brief report about educational services Hargeisa, no date (1991)

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (199lb) Educational report, Hargeisa, October 1991

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (199lc) Establishment of a new curriculum development centre Hargeisa, August 1991

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (1992) Proposed Ministry of Education's plan of action 1992 Hargeisa, January 1992

Hilary Perraton (1984) Training teachers at a distance London, Commonwealth Secretariat, 1984

Mohamed Abdi Samatar, Vocational training - the current situation Mogadishu, unpublished, n.d.

FILE NAME: PREDNDS.
ORIGINAL SOURCE: UNICEF SOMALIA.
CURRENT SOURCE: UNDOS DOCUMENTATION UNIT.
DATE: MARCH 1992.