President Hassan Sheikh leads nation in marking Somali Teachers’ Day

GOOBJOOG NEWS – MOGADISHU: As the country marked Somali Teachers Day on November 21, teachers were commended for their exemplary service to the nation and their continued provision of education to millions of learners despite the turbulence the country has gone through over the years.

The country’s Head of State, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, led the nation on Monday in a colorful ceremony befitting the Somali teacher at the National Theater in Mogadishu and stressed the important role teachers play in the development of the nation.

 Mohamud noted that despite the back-breaking work teachers have to put up to ensure that the future of the Somali children is secured, it was pitiable that they gave so much to receive so little, promising that his government would make efforts to reform the country’s education system.

He added that the government would pump more funds into the country’s education docket to ensure that the quality of education is improved, as well as offer support to teachers and their families. 

The educational deficit in Somalia is one of the most acute in the world. Roughly 3 million out of 5 million children and youth of school age are not in school. This has been compounded by more than two decades of conflict that have nearly brought the educational system to its knees. 

The education system has, to a large extent, also been affected by the sheer number of qualified, trained teachers and the lack of adequate resources required to ensure that the learner gets a quality education.