By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (somalilandsun) – Though the government Somaliland is committed towards ensuring access to education for all, it is also determined to see that only those who qualify utilize the opportunity.
This was stated by the minter of education Abdilahi Ibrahim Habane “Abdilahi Dheere” as he revealed that his ministry has unearthed 372 students attending secondary schools without having proved completion of primary school.
In a ministerial decree , minister Abdirahman Dheere state that investigations have revealed that Mahmud Ahmed Ali and Aljazeera Secodary schools based in Hargeisa are not only registering unqualified students but actually tutoring the in various forms/classes.
To this effect the decree read the Somaliland ministry of education no longer recognizes 217 and 155 students from Mahmud Ahmed Ali and Aljazeera secondary schools respectively, for reasons of having not provided primary school leaving certificates as is law.
The MoE decree read
Quote- following school inspections undertaken nationwide with the objective of ascertaining the quality of education provided by schools between 2015 to 2017 school years more so to ensure that students seeking secondary and university education actually qualify, the ministry of education came to discover a number of misdemeanors.
The main illegality involved the registration of unqualified students in secondary schools and higher institutions of learning in the country.
In order to ensure that registration of students in various levels of schooling in the country are done on merit and merit only, ministry investigations unearthed the fact that over 300 students in two Hargeisa based secondary schools were registered irregularly.
The two schools and number of students plus year of registrations are
I. Mahmud Ahmed Ali Secondary School
I. Registered 295 students to form I in the 2016-2017 school year with only 170 having valid primary school leaving certificates thence 125 illegally in class
II. In form 2&3 registered in the 2016-2017 school year totaling 112 only 20 had valid primary school leaving certificates thence 92 in class and school illegally
II. Aljazeera Secondary School
I. Of the total 120 students registered in the 2016-2017 school year only 26 have valid primary school leaving certificates thence 94 in both class and school illegally
II. Of the same school year registered in form 2 & 3 a total of 61 students were found to be both in class and school illegally.
To this effect having certified and affirmed that the number of students indicated here Dr not pas through the formal Chanel’s thence registration on secondary school and having failed to prove that their undertook relevant school leaving examinations from the school years beginning from 2014-2017 the ministry of education therefor terms these students as fake thence not recognized until they prove their qualification for the necessary levels.
All education offices in he country are therefore advised against registering the named students until their qualifications are proven
At the same time the ministry of education warns all educational institutions in the country against registering unqualified students
Ironically the two schools are private owned not to mention that Aljazeera Secondary School is owned by the current Somaliland minister of Tourism and Culture Khadar Haji Yusuf
Click to Read names of the Banned 372 students
While this is a positive move by the government the rot within the two education sector is not one to be erased with deregistering a few students. What needs to be done is more stringent than this.
i. The offending schools need to be deregistered with immediate effect
ii. Administrators of the guilty schools should be punished if not by courts through ban from any educational administrative activities, be it for life or some length of time.
iii. The MOE should be involved through approval of all schools registration and specially as pertains to Secondary school and University since it is the certifying body.
iv. The issue of private schools that are known to operate fraudulently not to mention being in the top ten best schools in national examinations annually should be brought under closer supervision by the MOE and
v. Immediately establish stringent mechanisms to regulate Universities of which Somaliland has more than 20 for a population of less than four million, especially in relation to what is taught by whom and how.
Though these suggestions are just made though devoid of skills in the education sectors the government need to s come experts to the ministry of education thence formulation of relevant and globally acceptable policies.
But since there is always a first for everything, the MOE decree and subsequent action against the fake students is a light in the tunnel coupled with recent arrest of examination invigilators upon being found abetting cheating is a sign of better things to come.
