Action
UNICEF’s education programme in Somalia is comprised of two projects, one for primary formal education and the other for primary alternative education. These projects are geared towards working with children and youth both in and outside of the school system. The Primary Formal Education Project This project focuses on re-establishing and expanding the formal primary schooling system within Somalia, which was virtually destroyed during the years of civil war. Special focus is being placed on increasing enrolment and helping students who are returning to the classroom to retain information and advance through learning levels. These goals are especially important for Somali girls. The Primary Alternative Education Project Many children in Somalia missed out on regular, classroom-type education because they were displaced and because of the civil strife in their communities. This project focuses on building alternative, non-formal learning opportunities for the youth who do not have access to formal education. UNICEF will continue to provide quality education materials to schools (both the formal and informal classroom settings), training for teachers and other education professionals, and support to community education committees. Local authorities will be helped to establish and set standards for the education system, and to develop standardized curricula and textbooks. UNICEF works closely with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other members of the Somalia Aid Coordination Body’s (SACB) Education Sectoral Committee, as well as local authorities in the northern regions, and communities and related education committees. Partnering for education UNICEF has played a critical technical and coordination support role within the education sector. In 2003, UNICEF was elected to co-chair the SACB’s Education Sectoral Committee and in this capacity has strengthened its leadership role, and provided important networking and coordination within Somalia and with partners based in Nairobi. This coordination is gradually strengthening at the zonal (for administrative purposes, UNICEF undertakes its work in Northwest, Northeast and Central and Southern Somalia which are also classified as zones) and regional administrative levels, where important national actors include the local authorities, communities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The role of zonal level local authorities is significant in the north, but their role is limited to those districts/regions where functioning local authorities exist in Central and Southern Somalia. The major external partners in the education sector include other United Nations agencies (specifically the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNESCO and the World Food Programme(WFP), international non-governmental organizations and donors.
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