A Study on Primary Education Provision For the Children of Pastoral Nomads in Ethiopia Access and Alternative: The Case of Somali Region
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2005-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was 10 ex amine Ihe current slat us of educational provision
for school age pastoral Somali children and Ih eir participalion in primary education in nomadic
areas of Somali region, identifying major problems, i.e. school related and out of school factors
(socio -economic, socio-cultural and development co nstr aint.l) and indicate possible alternativ e
intervention strategies that need to be des igned by policy makers and educational planners al
national and reg ional level to alleviate the educational deprivation of pastoral nomad Somali
children.
In effecting for this purpose des criptive survey method was employed to gather th e
necessary data for the study. Apart Fom co nsultation of documents and relevant sources, data
were gatheredfrom 455 students, 95 teachers and principals, 12 education experts and 23 elders.
In selecting these respondents, diversifi ed sampling te chniques were employed. Th e data
ob ta ined through questionnaire and structured intervie ws were analyzed using percentage and
weighted mean.
The data Fom documentary analysis indicated thai the status of educational provision
and pastoral Somali children participation on Ihe primwy schools of the region are poor and low
respectively. The result of the study showed that school intrinsic factors such as distance from
home to school, lack of facilities, services and qualifi ed teachers, inflexible school calendar,
weak school-community relationship, irr elevance of curriculum and inappropriate medium of
instruction were found to be the major barriers for increasing access to primary education.
Besides, socia-cultural constraints such as early marriage belittling of the value of
education (especially that of girls), gender role socialization and stereotyping, fear of loosing of
time for the training of paternalism and weak family and community involvement have been
identified as major problems for increasing access to primmy education. On the other hand, fear
of sexual harassment, abduction and teen age pregnancy found to . have minimal effect on
educational participation of postural children. Mo re over, socia- economic constraints such as
mobility, high demand of ch ild labor, poverty, parents illil eracy and shortage of upper primary
sc hools have beenfound to be major prob lems.
In addition to these, absence of del' elopment prog/'(//I1S des ignedfor the pastoral nomads
like range land d e velopment programs, ext ens ion and package programs were also identified as
th e major constraint s. Moreover , lack of marketing s el'l'ic n and shorta ge of basic se rvicesas educalian and health were /iJUnd to be Ihe main obslacles. Furthermore, lack of settlement
programs, inler and inlra tribal con(licls, spare seltlemenl of Ihe people and shorlage of road
were also idenlified as Ihe major problems to Ihe educalional involvemenl of pastoral Somali
children
As a resull, il is concluded Ihal, in most cases school inlrinsic, socio-economic, socio
cultural and developmenl conslraints are the hindering factors to bring aboul improved access 10
primary edt/cal ion inlhe pastoral areas of Somali region Based on Ihe resulls oflhe findings,
formulation of policy and strategy for pastoral Somali educalion, flexible educational calendar,
sensilizalion of Ihe society on Ihe value of education, boarding school, mobile tem schools)
reforming of the curriculum and medium of instruction, extending and suslaining school feeding
programs, non formal educalion and participatory cOIif/iCI management approaches were
recommended so that an increase in Ihe demand for primary educalion will be improved and
accessibilily is realized
Description
Keywords
IER