Themes

Approximately 244 million children lack access to education (UNESCO, 2022). Conflict is among the primary factors hindering their ability to attend school (Russell & Quaynor, 2017). Somalia, a country that has faced conflict in the past few decades, also encounters the issue related to out of school children. Recent estimates from 2020 state that approximately 3 million children in the country are out of school. There is a plethora of literature on complexities with regard to out of school children in conflict and post-conflict settings through the viewpoint of regions and countries; however, this brief highlights a city-centric analytical lens focused on Mogadishu to examine the issue of out-of-school children. Firstly, the brief provides a snapshot of Somalia’s education landscape and zooms into the city-level dynamics of Mogadishu city. Secondly, it addresses the drivers/causes of out-of-school children. Lastly, the study presents a series of recommendations through evidence of interventions that could help reduce out of school children in Mogadishu.

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Policy Brief Somalia