Somalia is undergoing a historic transformation in restoring and expanding access to quality education.

Across the country, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education, with support from GPE, is rebuilding the foundations of learning—classroom by classroom, school by school, and institution by institution.

Through GPE funding of US$81.7 million for the period 2024-2027, and implementation support from CARE and Save the Children US, run-down or damaged structures have been restored, new learning spaces have been constructed, and thousands of children—especially girls—are accessing safe, functional classrooms for the first time.

While infrastructure is a visible outcome, the GPE-funded program also supports broader system recovery grounded in equity, renewal and hope.

Expanding access to education

In 2022, nearly 70% of school-age children in Somalia were not in school.

Guided by the Education Sector Strategic Plan 2022—2026 and Somalia’s Partnership Compact 2023—2026, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education is working with partners to increase access to education in an equitable and inclusive way.

With GPE support, the ministry is rehabilitating 400 schools and constructing 1,000 classrooms, 17 girls’ schools and 20 early childhood education centers.

In addition to new construction, the rehabilitation of damaged, overcrowded or unusable schools includes repairs, new desks and chairs, roofing, painting, solar lighting and fans, safe playgrounds, gender-sensitive toilets and water tanks.

Nearly 300 schools have been upgraded with improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

Getting more girls into classrooms

Girls remain disproportionately out of school in Somalia. Targeted support funded by GPE’s Girls’ Education Accelerator is helping address barriers that prevent girls from enrolling and staying in school.

In a context where resources have historically been prioritized for men and boys, this investment aims to increase gender equality in Somali education.

The construction of 20 new schools for girls is expected to enable the enrollment of 15,600 vulnerable girls in underserved areas.

At over 70 existing schools, WASH facilities are being renovated to be gender-segregated and disability-responsive, making the schools more inclusive and accessible to girls.

The facilities are designed to use water efficiently, reduce waste and promote sustainable practices that protect the environment.

Strengthening the teaching workforce

Enhancing equitable access to quality education requires a strong and well-prepared workforce.

With GPE funding, the education ministry has built new teacher training centers in Baidoa, Balcad and Kismayo. These centers include training halls, lecture rooms, administrative offices, dormitories for trainees from rural areas, accessibility features for learning with disabilities and gender-sensitive WASH facilities.

These centers support teacher certification, early grade reading and math training, gender-responsive pedagogy and school leadership development.

Rebuilding education institutions

In addition to schools and teacher training centers, GPE is supporting the construction of national education institutions, including the federal education ministry’s headquarters in Boondheere, Mogadishu, originally built in the 1970s and destroyed during civil war.

A new National Curriculum Center and three state-level education ministry offices will strengthen curriculum development, teacher support, national monitoring and education planning.

Critical to the program's success is improved management of public resources for education.

Since adopting the Treasury Single Account framework in 2013, Somalia has aligned education funding from external partners like GPE with the education ministry as well as with the systems and procedures of the ministry of finance, Central Bank, Parliament, local government and the National Audit Office.

Enhanced efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability and efficiency aim at ensuring government and donor funds flow from the central level to the school level.

Together, these efforts contribute to stronger education leadership and renewed public trust in the education system, reaffirming every Somali child’s right to learn in safe, dignified, well-equipped schools.