Excellence, Through Educational Healthy Competition, is the New Casualty of Somaliland Tribal Syndrome!

On January 29th 2011, I had read a disappointing article in the websites. It is disappointing because I feel that Somaliland seems to be dismantling one of its greatest hallmarks…. excellence through educational healthy competition. According to the article, “Ethiopia gives 100 free scholarships to Somaliland students. And those students will go to universities in Jigjiga and Gode…”that is fine though our students could go to our universities with Ethiopian assistance.

However, it is sad that the Ministry of Education distributes the scholarships on Regional basis…which is course another form of tribal representation considering our traditional tribal settlements. But doing so totally takes the country’s education excellence decades back. 

Therefore, I find it imperative that I rehash here an article that I wrote in June 2008, with some changes of course, lauding former British Somaliland’s basic great foundations, when it comes to education …excellence through healthy competition. Sadly however, that seems to be heading toward destruction thanks to the tribal syndrome that is the rule of the day in Somaliland. 
 
So, my dear readers here is the article “story”

Fifty years ago this year, as one of four Dilla primary school graduates, I had to enroll in Sheikh Intermediate school. I was one of the lucky students who had a chance to enroll because in those golden days, education was not a right. It was a privilege…i.e. it was an exclusive club which was off the limits of the majority thanks but no thanks to ruling Great British that never provided enough schools to its former colony.
  
So, after my joyful three year studies at Dilla primary school, a joy that I later expressed in my Somali afary: “matiska iyo sayniska Carandis booga noo mari dheh…. Maashaa alaahuye durtaba maskaxidii noo doogtay…. May the Lord bless him, my class sat for the entrance exam and thanks goodness, most of us passed, some including me landing in free spots… in those days, in the country, the top kids 3% of the class, were given free education.

So, in the fall of 1961, that is exactly half a century ago this year, in one late afternoon a friend of mine brought me “the good news” …that I had passed the entrance examination with credit and hence got a free spot. Without that I bet you, I would certainly drop out. He further told me that “a total of four Dilla boys including me were going to Sheikh intermediate school.”

A few weeks later, with my friends, I went to Sheikh middle school and it was there that I had realized that Sheikh Middle School was the biggest and the mother of all schools in former British Somaliland Protectorate.

In addition, I had also realized that like Dilla leaders, Sheikh community leaders were committed to good education. So, Sheikh Mohamed Siraad, one of the most prominent figures of the town, never missed a single major event of the school. In fact, he had never failed to come there on every school closing day to hand out presents to top boys. And he had also never failed to give his advice and encouragement to all, always congratulating those who excelled in school exams. In fact, I remember Sheikh Mohamed Siraad…god bless his soul, once tease me “this time, a young boy beats you as the top student of the class”….that was Mohamad Hassan, Boss, my friend from Bulohar.

So, in those golden days, at Sheikh, like the rest of the country, ethics and hard work were the hallmark of educational excellence. And amazingly, our self-made teachers, who I call the Messiahs sent to us to make a difference, never failed to teach us healthy competition through hard work. I can recall many: Sheikh Adan, Aw Salib, A. Bahnan, M.A. Jama (Sifir) Bayac, Aw Adan, Mohamed Ali, Ahmed Ibrahim (Candhadhi), M. Hamud (Nine), Hash hash, Macalaysh, …. I apologize using their nicknames, as most were known with their nicknames. And I do equally apologize for not remembering all others who were equally great. May the lord the Almighty, bless them all in this world and hereafter.

And with care, they parented us; with kindness, they taught discipline and self-respect; and with humility, they taught us honesty and dedication. And thank goodness, no one was ever accused of nepotism, favoritism, partiality or unfairness!

On the contrary, with honesty they led us; with integrity they coached us and with hard work they taught us everything good and thereby built all the basics of education in us.  Moreover, with their hard work, dedication, devotion and creativity, they gave us all kinds of extra-curricula activities during the whole term so that we may enjoy life and hence never become homesick as many of us including me thought we were thousands of miles away from our homes and parents!

And even more amazingly, on all Saturday mornings, there were student house hygiene and sanitation inspections, my current profession….go to www.hawasemagazine.bogspot.com. And on Sunday and Tuesday evenings, there were soccer game competitions again between houses. And on every Monday evening there were classes in gardening for students to learn how to grow their daily needs of fruits and vegetables. And on every Wednesday night, there were competitions again between student houses in educational debates.

Additionally, at the close of every semester, there were competitions on traditional folklore dances and artists played music, other entertainments, etc. There were also art exhibitions that of course included student made wood and metal crafts. And even more amazingly, our teachers always gave trophies to winners…most paid by them from their already meager salaries! And no wonder therefore, that many of us excelled in different fields. And not surprisingly, those sent to overseas scholarships easily beat American and British students in their own backyards!

On the other hand, in those golden days, education was the collective responsibility of the community everywhere. It was something to value, preserve, and honor by every citizen, town, city and village. In fact, all community members across the country often had soft hearts for school kids irrespective of whom they were as if schools and school kids alone were the whole future of the nation!

And last but not least, at school closings for holidays every year, it was the responsibility of the district or regional authorities to take care of boys who came from far off places and could not afford to pay their fares to their homes. And I bet it was the same everywhere in the country!

My dear readers, this story was typical of the olden days of Somaliland! It is typical of how our loving parents treated their kids irrespective of where came from! It was amazing how everyone was honored. And that was why the whole country moved forward despite meager resources.

Unfortunately, today, albeit Somaliland’s claim of a “unique democracy, despite its preaching of fairness, equality and inclusiveness”; there are sorrowful setbacks. And the sad news in Sunday’s Waaheen News Media is sign of the times. It is of course another form of tribal representation and takes the country’s education system decades back as excellence is repudiated. And if not redressed today, we will all lose because like before, our graduate kids will never compete well in anywhere let alone beat Americans or Europeans or Asians in their own backyards.
 
I would therefore, like to address this petition to the Guurti, to the administration, to the MPs, to the intellectuals and to anyone who may want to listen. And so, I would like to urge all to address and redress this huge setback, the cause of which we all know, before it is too late! Otherwise, Somaliland is lying to itself when it says that it is “a unique democracy” but bases everything on tribal representation in which minorities is possibly ignored. Sadly, such representations may only result in loss of quality!

So, let me ask:
 
1.  My dear friends, is the tribal syndrome having its toll on Somaliland without anyone’s notice?

2.  Or is it being intentionally introduced and maintained?

3. Is a quota system, “call it an equal opportunity affirmative action” if you may, being knowingly or unknowingly introduced in Somaliland?

4. And had such quota been operational in the sixties, would many including me ever have a chance to go to school as those in the far West were already too full? Friends, let us redress this today in good faith, or else the quality of our kids’ education will certainly plummet placing our whole future back in the dark ages!

By Noah Arre

Email: noah.arre@gmail.com