 |
Somali Education Minister Ahmed Aidid Ibrahim, TDV Somalia Director Veysi Kaya and Directorate of Religious Affairs Somali Coordinator İdris Keskin met at the prime minister's residence in Mogadishu on Friday, and agreed the transfer of a disused school building to the TDV. The school is planned to have a capacity of 300 students and will educate children between the ages of 5 and 14. The agreement is valid for 10 years.
Ibrahim, conveying his gratitude to Turkey for its aid and services it has provided to Somalia, expressed his hopes that school will set a good example for education in the country. “Somalia does not have any public schools, every educational institution is private. Somalia has a serious gap in its education system, and only those who can afford it attend private schools and have access to education,” said Ibrahim, adding that only 5 percent of Somali children receive an education out of 3 million children in the country.
A drought in Somalia has killed 29,000 children under the age of 5 and left 12 million people on the brink of starvation since 2010. The epicenter of the drought lies on the three-way border shared by Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. Uganda and Djibouti have also been hit by the disaster. Tens of thousands of people have so far been displaced due to the drought in the region. The drought in Somalia has added to troubles resulting from the 20-year-long civil war in the country.
Kaya anticipated that the restoration of the old school building, which had not been used for eight years, will be finished in three months and the Turkish primary school can be opened. “The school will offer eight years of primary school education. According to our agreement with Somali state officials, the TDV will decide on the course schedules,” stated Kaya, and added that Turkish lessons will also be included.