Somalia- The Language and Literacy Issue and Education

The first link below leads you to details about how the Somali language came to be in written form, and the second describes the history of the education system.

Note that Somali was not a written language until 1973, and that even after it was promoted across the country, literacy in 1990 was only 24 percent. Since 1991, the education system has been in chaos, and pretty much non-existent due to civil war.

Remember this when sending letters home in Somali language.  Parents/guardians who speak Somali might not be able to read it.  A phone call using an interpreter is a better choice for important information. 

Also, note that there was no national system of education of any sort prior to 1973. There were a few Quranic schools (with teaching in Arabic) and a few Catholic mission schools, also taught in Arabic.  After 1973, there was not broad participation in education either. 

Somalia- The Language and Literacy Issue

Somalia-Education

Last modified: Monday, September 30, 2013, 3:48 PM