Curriculum development: A force for peace or conflict in fragile states- Lessons from Somalia This paper documents how the curriculum development process, when sensitively managed and involving community buy in, helps... [ view full abstract ]
Curriculum development: A force for peace or conflict in fragile states- Lessons from Somalia
This paper documents how the curriculum development process, when sensitively managed and involving community buy in, helps develop national cohesion and peace building but how other forces undermine the very principles on which such a curriculum is based.
Somalia developed a curriculum framework, which provided the key elements underlining the educational system, including a society’s values, goals, aspirations, structures and key broad learning outcomes to be achieved. This curriculum provides a flexible framework that enhances cohesion and nation building as competing authorities recognise what they have in common including visions of a conflict free future with portable qualifications and learner mobility. In educational terms, it prioritized the development of cognitive abilities and essential skills for rebuilding a fractured society.
However, there are negative forces undermining these advances, as it is implemented. These included major pushbacks from:
- More conservative forces, who only valued traditional content based curriculum. This impacts on syllabus, learning materials and textbook development.
- Strongly competitive elements in education driving the need for ‘paper qualifications’ at any cost and reverting to knowledge memorisation
- Resistance from political power brokers unsure of implications for their own beliefs and hold on power.
Important factors for success included appropriate timelines, adequate budgets, wider stakeholder participation and political will.
While assessment systems are a force for both peace and conflict as they reinforce competition and traditional approaches but can lead the move towards assessing crucial cognitive and practical skills needed for future development.
Lessons learnt are that, provided communities are integral to the process and such threats are recognised and counterbalanced, then a strong curriculum framework can be a major source of national cohesion, a reflection of national aspirations modernising the nation and preparation for the 21st century.
