Languages in Somalia

Somali, including Maay and Maxaa-tiri, has official-language status under Somalia's Constitution. The Constitution also recognizes Arabic as a second language and supports local cultural practices and minority dialects. Somali is the main language of daily communication, but learning needs differ: Arabic is closely connected with Quranic and Islamic education, English supports higher education, international organizations, international employers and digital or academic material, and regional varieties remain important in many communities. The General Education Act 2021 organizes education into a 4+4+4 structure. The first level covers primary grades 1 to 8 and includes Accelerated Basic Education (ABE), a condensed formal curriculum for out-of-school children, young people and adults. The second level covers secondary Forms 1 to 4, followed by higher education. Quranic schools, also called dugsi, provide early religious learning and literacy, but they do not replace a complete primary education. ABE access can include the Learning and Literacy Programme and an entrance examination for entry at grade 5. Policy work in 2021 referred to about 3 million out-of-school children and young people, with vulnerable, displaced, nomadic and older learners among the priority groups. At primary level, Somali is the stated teaching language. English is introduced as a subject from grade 3, while Arabic and Islamic Studies are required from kindergarten. Social Studies is taught in Somali. At secondary level, teaching may use Somali, English or Arabic, and another approved teaching language may be possible, but Somali, Arabic and Islamic Studies remain required under the stated policy. Implementation is not uniform across Somalia because education responsibilities are distributed among the Federal Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education, Federal Member State ministries, the Banadir Education Directorate, regional and district authorities, schools, universities and community or NGO partners. English and Arabic courses are offered by public and private institutions, especially in Mogadishu. The Mogadishu University Institute of Languages offers English and Arabic programmes, including a one-year diploma, English levels arranged in 4+3+3 stages with roughly one month per level, Arabic at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels, and full-time, part-time and evening study. It also lists three-month Academic Writing and Conversation Club programmes and a six-month Advanced English and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) preparation programme. Just University Mogadishu's University Language Centre offers General English at A2, B1 and B2, usually for three months per level, together with Academic English, Corporate English and preparation for IELTS, ELLT and OIETC. Applicants may complete an online application, placement or diagnostic test and registration; published prices are not consistently available. The Somali National University Centre for Foreign Languages offers an Intensive English Programme for professionals and people working in business, politics and humanitarian fields, with six levels from Beginner to Mastery and practice in writing, reading, listening and speaking. Current fees and schedules are not always publicly visible. There is no reliable evidence of a single nationwide course or examination standard for French, Italian, German or other additional foreign languages. Local individual offerings may exist, but they should be verified directly with the provider. Somalia also has no demonstrated nationwide adult Somali, Arabic or English certificate aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Institutions may use their own placement or proficiency tests. MUIL may issue a course certificate, and language centres may offer mock examinations or preparation, but the actual examination, accepted certificate and required score depend on the institution, employer or programme. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education conducts national examinations for grade 8 and secondary Form 4. A high school certificate follows the relevant completion or graduation examination and may be issued through five regional centres or the central office. The National Assessment Framework includes planned assessment frameworks for Somali language and mathematics at grades 3 and 6, but these school assessments are not the same as a general adult language certificate. Teaching and access can also take place outside regular schools. A 2024 Teaching at the Right Level pilot grouped learners by learning level rather than age or class and reached 18,750 learners at a grade-3 equivalent over eight months, with one hour of learning each day. In Puntland, the Learning Passport supported by the Ministry of Education, UNICEF, Microsoft and Cambridge provides online and offline lessons through a mobile application; its initial 2020 programme reached more than 11,000 children and included more than 600 recorded lessons. Radio, television, audio and home-based learning can supplement these services. Electricity, device ownership, internet coverage, security and regional availability affect whether digital learning works in practice. Basic education is recognized as a right, and constitutional provisions describe education through secondary level as free, but actual availability and cost-free access vary. Private language centres generally charge fees, although many providers do not publish current prices. Universities and language centres may target students or professionals, while displaced, rural, nomadic and mobile learners may depend more on ABE, community classes, radio, offline materials or digital services. Conflict, displacement, drought, floods, teacher and textbook shortages, gender-related barriers and security conditions can interrupt learning. Attendance at school or a Quranic school does not by itself prove Somali, Arabic or English proficiency, so the relevant institution's assessment or certificate should be checked before study, employment or admission decisions.