Somalia’s Education Minister Mr. Abdirahman Dahir Osman has put to question the quality of university education in the country, Radio Dalsan reports.
Speaking to stakeholders in the education sector at a consultative meeting in Mogadishu Mr. Osman revealed that the number of university students graduating far much exceeded that of the secondary school form four leavers.
“If the number of those who finish secondary schools in our country is 30,000, and the number of those who join university every year is 50,000, then something is wrong with us. Is it not like that? And normally, all of those who finish secondary do not join universities” Osman said.
“It is unacceptable to us that we do efforts and produce university graduates but in the real sense we are damaging those graduates and cause problems to them. Yeah. And they are nothing when they leave universities.” Osman added.
Osman said in comparison to other countries the quality of tertiary education was still wanting.
“We cannot compete with our neighbours if the boy or the girl who graduate from our universities are not of any quality when compared to those from universities in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia or Djibouti. I think that is an embarrassment for us and we are deceiving our children. And (eventually) remain behind from the rest of the world.
He called upon stakeholders in the sector to help in the shaping of policies that will see the quality of education rise.
“We as the Ministry of Education are ready and we mentioned it in several places, to restore the education of this country and put it on the path. And I want you to take a big share in that. We know there are some small interests that belong to the people. It is important for us to continue with the good thing that was in existence until we make the transition.”
Somalia has one of the highest numbers of Universities in the Horn of Africa region with over 20 institutions in the Mogadishu only.
