Garowe, April 30, 2025 – The 7th Puntland Education Conference, convened by the Puntland Ministry of Education, concluded today in Garowe, culminating in a productive two-day discourse. The conference served as a critical forum for the strategic advancement of educational quality within Puntland and the systematic identification of extant challenges within its educational framework.
The conference was formally inaugurated by the Vice President of Puntland, Ilyas Osman (Lugatoor), who delivered a keynote address acknowledging the substantive progress achieved within the Puntland’s education sector. While recognizing the significant advancements realized, the Vice President underscored the protracted trajectory necessitating sustained commitment from the Ministry and diverse educational stakeholders, particularly in the domains of vocational training and the enhancement of quality within tertiary education. A central tenet of his address was the imperative to address systemic deficiencies to cultivate a cohort of graduates characterized by self-reliance and the capacity for entrepreneurial innovation.
Deliberations and Strategic Recommendations
Throughout the two-day proceedings, participants engaged in rigorous deliberations and the synergistic exchange of ideas centered on the augmentation of higher education quality. Comprehensive consultations were undertaken to strategically chart the future trajectory of Puntland’s educational system, with specific consideration afforded to the transformative shifts currently shaping the global educational landscape. The conference culminated in a series of salient recommendations designed to fortify the educational ecosystem within Puntland:
• Budget Allocation: Increase the budget for Puntland’s education to alleviate the financial burden on parents.
• Vocational Schools: Expand the number of vocational schools to enhance the skills of the Puntland population.
• Quality Assurance: Establish demonstrably high-quality technical and vocational training centers coupled with a concomitant reduction in substandard educational provisions.
• Support for Girls and Women: Proactively incentivize female participation in technical and vocational disciplines.
• Higher Education Transformation: Undertake comprehensive reforms and critical re-evaluation within the higher education sector.
• Social Workers in Schools: Strategically integrate trained social work professionals within educational institutions to provide essential support to vulnerable female students.
• Support for Disabilities: Enhance the provision of resources for individuals with disabilities, including the establishment of specialized educational facilities for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down Syndrome.
• Food Support: Collaboratively reinstate nutritional support programs for students in rural and remote communities.
• Learning Environment Quality: Ensure the quality of learning environments through annual curriculum reviews and strategic teacher recruitment practices.
• Education System Modernization: Modernize the extant and arguably anachronistic 4-4-4 twelve-year educational cycle.
• Technical Schools for Coastal Areas: Strategically establish specialized technical training institutions, particularly focusing on fisheries, within coastal regions.
The conference underscored the exigent need for concerted efforts to elevate the national literacy rate, currently at a concerning 33%. The implementation of these strategic recommendations is anticipated to yield a significant enhancement in the overall quality of education within Puntland, thereby fostering a generation of graduates equipped with the skills and innovative capacities essential for sustainable development.
