Curriculum Reforms Somalia and Globally
Curriculum Reforms Somalia and Globally
Curriculum Reforms Somalia and Globally
Galmudug State,
Somalia
Abstract:
This paper examines a critical analysis of curriculum reforms taking place in Somalia and
globally. It highlights the importance of education as a fundamental human right for the
development of individuals and society. The paper explores how curriculum reform has
become a global trend, driven by globalization, changing learner needs, and the desire to
align education with global standards and competencies. It analyzes a series of
curriculum reforms taking place worldwide, including examples from the United States,
Europe, East Asia, Africa, and other countries. The focus then shifts to the specific case of
Somalia, a country rebuilding its educational system after years of instability and conflict.
The paper highlights the significance of curriculum reforms in shaping the future of
Somali learners and addressing the challenges of the 21st century. It examines the
rationale, objectives, processes, outcomes, and challenges of curriculum reforms in
Somalia, along with comparisons to other countries undergoing similar reforms. These
reforms emphasize various aspects such as critical thinking, creativity, vocational skills,
and cultural relevance. The paper recommended the need for teacher training and
professional development, improved, stakeholder engagement, global collaboration, and
technology innovation.
1. Introduction
For the development of individuals and society, education is a fundamental human right.
To guarantee that all children have the chance to learn and succeed, an effective
i
Correspondence: email [email protected]
The Bologna Process is a reform process that aims to make higher education in Europe
more compatible, comparable and coherent. It incorporates multiple European
organizations as well as 49 European nations. The Bologna Process was launched in 1999
with the signing of the Bologna Declaration by 29 European countries. Since then, it has
expanded to include more countries and organizations, and has adopted several
communiqués and declarations to guide its implementation. The process is named after
the University of Bologna, where the first declaration was signed. The University of
Bologna, founded in 1088, is the oldest university in Europe. The Bologna Process has
had a significant impact on higher education in Europe, leading to a number of reforms,
including the introduction of a three-cycle degree structure (bachelor's, master’s, and
doctorate)
The curriculum reforms taking place in Europe have been aimed at modernizing
education systems to meet the evolving needs of society and equip students with the
necessary skills for the 21st century global workforce. Countries in Europe are
recognizing the impact of globalization, technological advancements, and labor market
dynamics on education. Over the past years, historical reforms have been conducted in
the educational systems of the countries (Cerych, 1997; Garrouste, 2010; Hall et al., 2020).
In accordance with the requirements of the modern educational technologies for each
subject advanced pedagogical methods, modern information and communication
technologies are used on the basis of the curriculum, syllabus recommended by the
experts.
The paper conducted in Poland found that the overall attitude towards the
educational reform in Poland was negative, and the strength of this negative attitude
increased along with being more directly affected by the changes introduced by it. While
the general population held a relatively neutral attitude towards the reform, the attitude
was clearly negative among parents and students. The paper discusses the reasons and
consequences of these findings (Karwowski & Milerski, 2021).
Another paper discusses the extensive curriculum reform process in Finland from
2014-2017, which aimed to build on the strengths of the Finnish education system and
meet the challenges of a rapidly changing and complex world. The reform focused on
improving the joy and meaningfulness of learning, student agency, and educational
equality. The leading principle in the Finnish educational thinking is that equal and high-
quality education is the best way to respect children and childhood, and to build a
sustainable future for both individuals and the whole country (Halinen I., 2018).
Campbel (2020) conducted research in USA and discusses the need for curriculum
reform in education and recommends three key areas of reform, including inquiry-based
learning, the social significance of science, and problem-solving-centered themes. The
paper argues that these reforms can have a positive impact on learning outcomes. The
study used a combination of methods to gather data that was then analyzed to examine
if education and curriculum reform can impact the way we learn. The paper highlights
the importance of a revised curriculum that emphasizes a more practical set of
foundational themes and concepts in the study of science. Overall, the paper contributes
to the ongoing discussion on education and curriculum reform and provides
recommendations for improving learning outcomes.
Another study was conducted by Tan-sisman (2021). The purpose of the study was
to investigate the reflections of administrative structure and educational reforms on
curriculum development process in Singapore and Turkey. The results indicated that
curriculum development process is administered by the departments of Ministries of
Education in both Singaporean and Turkish education system in a centralized structure.
However, there seems clear differences. The structure in Singapore is hierarchically more
flexible, more curriculum development oriented and more complementary when the
authorized departments of the two countries and their missions and responsibilities are
compared. Furthermore, the main goal of the curriculum reforms in Singapore from 2011
to present is to develop students who are self-directed learners, active contributors, and
concerned citizens. The curriculum was revised to focus on the development of 21st-
century competencies, such as critical and inventive thinking, communication,
collaboration, and information skills. The teaching of values and character education was
also emphasized (Kwek et al., 2020).
Another paper describes the current shift taking place in the Korean educational
system as it moves from knowledge delivery to competency development, from academic
excellence to student happiness, and from centralized and detailed prescriptions to more
autonomous decision making by teachers in order to overcome these problems and
respond actively to twenty-first century learning ecology. The paper suggests that
changes must be followed in terms of school practice, teachers' professional
development, and sociocultural structures as means of achieving these reforms.
Therefore, the paper concludes that the Korean education system needs to undergo
curriculum reforms to achieve sustainable success and meet the challenges of the twenty-
first century learning ecology (So & Kang, 2014).
In India, the Happiness Curriculum is made up of compulsory 45-minute daily
lessons with the aim of developing mindfulness, critical thinking, reflection, and social-
emotional skills among students in more than 1,000 government-run schools in Delhi,
India. This case study outlines the inception, implementation, and impact of the
Happiness Curriculum in the context of broader education reforms in Delhi (Khanna &
Peterson, 2023). On the other hand, for many years, the Saudi national curriculum
focused on memorization and exam-based, teacher-centered instruction. However, after
recognition of the ineffectiveness of this approach, the curriculum has shifted towards a
more constructivist approach (Alazzaz, 2019).
Addressing the country’s aging population and reduced workforce in today’s
competitive global economy, the Government of Japan has introduced a number of
measures to reform its education system. Starting in 2020, Japan designated English as a
formal subject starting from the fifth grade, a change from the previous policy which
began at the junior high school level. The policy also emphasizes practical English
reading and writing abilities. English familiarization curricula (e.g. singing, games and
simple phrases) will be adopted from the third grade. In addition to a homeroom teacher,
Curriculum reforms in Africa have been a topic of discussion and implementation for
several years now. These reforms aim to address various challenges in the education
systems across the continent and strive for improved quality, relevance, and equity.
According to Sebola & Mogoboya (2020), curriculum reform plays a crucial role in
African academia's efforts to Africanize and decolonize knowledge production. This
process involves reimagining and redefining curricula in higher education institutions to
legitimize indigenous knowledge production and promote an Afrocentric approach.
Moreover, curriculum reforms in Africa are also driven by the need to respond to
emerging socio-economic, political, and scientific issues. The dawn of democracy in
South Africa, for example, has resulted in revisions to the school curriculum in order to
align with the democratic constitution and ensure that the curriculum is both student and
socially accountable (Mnguni, 2019). Additionally, science curriculum reforms have been
implemented in various African countries including South Africa, Rwanda, and
Botswana (Kanamugire et al., 2019). These reforms aim to enhance the teaching and
learning process, foster critical thinking skills, and promote scientific literacy among
students.
The South African education system has undergone multiple curriculum reforms
since 1994, with the introduction of new curriculum policies having a significant impact
on teaching and learning practices. In South Africa, one article discusses the proposal by
the Council on Higher Education (CHE) to extend the undergraduate degree structure in
South Africa by one year, and argues that this provides an opportunity for a different
kind of curriculum that enables epistemic access and development for students. The
article also presents some theoretical tools and principles for designing such a
curriculum, as well as some examples of qualification-specific curriculum models (Shay
et al., 2016).
Nigeria has undergone several curriculum reforms in recent years. In 2019, Nigeria
introduced a new senior secondary education model that emphasizes vocational skills
and entrepreneurship, in addition to academic development. This reform is aimed at
preparing students for the demands of the 21st century and equipping them with the
skills needed to succeed in the workforce (Ajagun, 2019). The latest curriculum reform in
Nigeria is focused on vocational skills and entrepreneurship, with the aim of preparing
students for the workforce. While the effectiveness of these reforms is still being debated,
it is clear that Nigeria recognizes the need for ongoing curriculum reform to remain
relevant and responsive to the needs of the 21st century.
The current information on curriculum reform in Zambia indicates that the
government is undertaking a curriculum review to modify and change the current
curriculum. The government's education strategy is to expand investment to develop
upper secondary education, technical education, vocational, and entrepreneurship. The
new curriculum development means that the formal education system will have a 9-3-4
structure, comprising nine years of basic education, three years of high school, and four
years of university education (Shumba, 2023).
In February 2020, Uganda implemented a new direction in the educational system.
It has rolled out of the ordinary old curriculum which emphasized knowledge acquisition
from a theoretical approach. The learning process was known as teacher-centred.
However, the revised curriculum would meet the learners’ needs and aspirations, skills
acquisition, training, and personal and professional development of learners. In addition,
the new curriculum will help learners develop critical thinking ability, creativity and
collaboration, and the spirit of teamwork and communication skills, among many skills
which are no different from Ghana’s current curriculum. The new curriculum would
reduce content overload and contact hours in the classroom (Chemonges, 2019). This will
create time for research and project work, as well as talent development and creativity.
With the reduction in the number of subjects from 43 to 21 in the new curriculum,
students will get adequate time to concentrate on hands-on experience work and talent
development under the close supervision of their respective teachers.
Education reforms in the independent Kenya include proposals of Ominde
Education Commission of 1964, the Gachathi Education Commission of 1976 that brought
about 7-4-2-3 Education System, the Mackay Education Commission of 1981 that led to
the implementation of 8-4-4 Education System, and the Douglas Odhiambo (Taskforce,
2012) that proposed the Competency Based Curriculum (2-6-6-3) (Amukoa,2003), an
education reform whose implementation is on-going since its introduction in 2017. There
were challenges that impeded effective implementation of these reforms, especially the
Competency Based Curriculum. These include in effective assessment strategy,
inadequate funding, unclear understanding of CBC, antagonism on domiciling Junior
Secondary School, teacher shortages, inadequate teaching and learning facilities and
parents’ concern (Muricho, 2023).
when trying to update the curriculum or add new, complicated resources like ICT. It
seems that there have been some recent efforts to improve the education system in
Somalia, including the introduction of a new curriculum and the use of ICT in schools.
The USAID and GPE are also working to improve access to education for marginalized
children.
5. Conclusion
This paper analyzed the curriculum reforms taking place in Somalia and globally.
Curriculum reforms are taking place globally, driven by the changing needs of learners,
globalization, and the desire to align education with global standards. These reforms aim
to address social issues, improve competitiveness, and ensure the relevance of education
for individuals and society. The case of Somalia is particularly important as the country
rebuilds its educational system after years of instability. Curriculum reforms in Somalia
focus on updating content, improving teaching and learning methods, integrating
technology, and promoting inclusivity. However, challenges such as limited resources,
infrastructure, and teacher training need to be addressed for successful implementation.
Other countries, such as Poland, Finland, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Canada,
China, and several African nations, have also undergone or are undergoing curriculum
reforms to meet the demands of the 21st century. These reforms emphasize various
aspects such as critical thinking, creativity, vocational skills, and cultural relevance.
Despite the challenges, curriculum reforms hold the potential to shape the future of
education and prepare learners for a rapidly changing world. Continued research and
analysis of these reforms will contribute to ongoing discussions and inform best practices
for curriculum development and implementation.
5.1 Recommendations
5.1.1 Prioritize Teacher Professional Development
Teachers play a central role in implementing curriculum reforms and shaping students'
learning experiences. Governments and educational institutions should prioritize
ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers, focusing on equipping
them with the necessary knowledge, skills, and pedagogical strategies to effectively
deliver the new curriculum.
5.1.2 Embrace Technology and Innovation
The integration of technology into the curriculum can enhance teaching and learning
experiences, foster digital literacy skills, and prepare students for the digital age.
5.1.3 Engage Stakeholders and Communities
Curriculum reforms should be inclusive and engage all relevant stakeholders, including
teachers, parents, students, community leaders, and policymakers.
5.1.4 Foster Global Collaboration
Given the global nature of curriculum reforms, it is essential for countries to collaborate
and share best practices. Governments and educational institutions should establish
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