Photo: © Concern Worldwide
The title might be a cliché, but some clichés still make sense. Even if most of those who read these words can have very wonderful memories about their school times, the fact is that in our World only a few are able to collect such nice memories. Africa is overwhelmed with conflicts, food crisis and poverty, and education is most of the times neglected. Despite the huge efforts made by agencies, NGOs and governments to improve the situation, the truth is universal education in Africa is far from being a reality.
The Joint Education Needs Assessment was a survey coordinated by the Somalia Education Cluster, a group that works to meet the emergency education needs of all children in Somalia. The survey covered 628 schools in 45 districts and was the second survey conducted this year to describe school conditions in central and southern Somalia. The results indicated that hundreds of thousands of children receive no food assistance in school in the midst of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. "While local and international education partners have intensified efforts to provide essential services through schools and are now reaching more than 400 000 children, 45 percent of whom are girls, in over 1900 schools, the survey also indicates that almost 16 percent of assessed schools in central and southern Somalia have failed to re-open for the new academic year because of displacement, insecurity and a lack of funds", UNICEF says.
The drought made at least 93 percent of the schools and learning spaces unavailable for classes, since they are occupied by internally displaced persons. But before the crisis the situation was not better: 1.8 million children aged 5-17 were out of school. Since the onset of the crisis, schools have been used as shelters for displaced people and according to the survey both the drought and displacement have prevented about 13 percent of teachers from returning to their posts.
Additionally, the survey reported "the majority of assessed schools lack health and hygiene activities, rendering children vulnerable to outbreaks of diarrhoea and cholera": soap is not available at 97 percent of schools, and only 14 percent of schools offer hygiene promotion. In 28 percent of schools children have to walk more than 1 km to access a water source, but drinking water is located within 100 meters at the majority of schools.
Sikander Khan, UNICEF’s Representative in Somalia claims that, despite all the support received, additional investments are needed to provide schools with essential services not only to attract children to school but also to keep them in the classroom. "Doing so will help to prevent a dwindling number of youth that are appropriately skilled and give hope for Somalia’s future”, he says. Since the declaration of famine on July 20, nearly 110,000 severely malnourished children were treated at UNICEF-supported centers across the region. More than 2.6 million people were provided with access to safe water and over 1.5 million were reached with hygiene awareness and supplies.
Everything starts in school, even public health...
The drought made at least 93 percent of the schools and learning spaces unavailable for classes, since they are occupied by internally displaced persons. But before the crisis the situation was not better: 1.8 million children aged 5-17 were out of school. Since the onset of the crisis, schools have been used as shelters for displaced people and according to the survey both the drought and displacement have prevented about 13 percent of teachers from returning to their posts.
Additionally, the survey reported "the majority of assessed schools lack health and hygiene activities, rendering children vulnerable to outbreaks of diarrhoea and cholera": soap is not available at 97 percent of schools, and only 14 percent of schools offer hygiene promotion. In 28 percent of schools children have to walk more than 1 km to access a water source, but drinking water is located within 100 meters at the majority of schools.
Sikander Khan, UNICEF’s Representative in Somalia claims that, despite all the support received, additional investments are needed to provide schools with essential services not only to attract children to school but also to keep them in the classroom. "Doing so will help to prevent a dwindling number of youth that are appropriately skilled and give hope for Somalia’s future”, he says. Since the declaration of famine on July 20, nearly 110,000 severely malnourished children were treated at UNICEF-supported centers across the region. More than 2.6 million people were provided with access to safe water and over 1.5 million were reached with hygiene awareness and supplies.
Everything starts in school, even public health...
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