Somaliland Government Properties and School Sites are on Sale!‏

Somaliland Government Properties and School Sites are on Sale!‏

Written by Dr. Shacabi

Thursday, 07 May 2009 01:09

While Mr. Riyale and his so-called government has focused most of his attention on " Holding  and staying the chair of presidency," he has taken time to continue pushing what he's called his main  new domestic policy agenda item—It is called "Education destruction and selling schools and universities sites for his own profit gain plan"—a plan that calls for drastic, unprecedented changes in the way the nation's public school system operates and educates children.  Secondly, he already nominated two Regional Police Officers in Burao Region to create disturbance and clashes between the two main clans in Burao. He Also, refused to sign the final Mediation Agreement between him and the other political parties regarding the extension of his presidency and election time up to September 27, 2009.  On Tuesday, May 4, 2008, Riyale and his corrupted officials went on the offensive. He again began making closed meetings pushing his education agenda, by closing Sheikh Bashir School without valid reason other than his own agenda and profit gain. Then he took a break from the month-long after he cleverly paid some of the Gurtis to extended his presidential term another six months to buy a real time to destroy the Somaliland and use their resources for his personnel advantages. He also promised that he will sign the last mediation outcome verdicts into law, but so far he is unwillingly ignoring to validate and the main reason is that he doesn't like the article that underscore there will be no extensions for his government anymore. In my opinion the whole country will be soon on sale and this incident of Sheikh Bashir school is the first step and the testing point of other plans and agendas of dismantling the Somaliland Education system or education excellence schools. It is time for Congress to get moving on requesting the Riyale and his mafia to sign the Mediation Agreement to officially pass the motion in the legislature session and to stop closing the educational facilities and schools for government officials profit gain.The political parties need to speak-up the closure of schools and the congress and local governments responsible for failing school system if they do not stop now. Our educators need to get ready for the new accountability era that's coming to our schools, the  so-called president has argued, while emphasizing what will happen if students and schools don't stop the demonstration, we need to give a full support the teachers, parents and the students to fight back and force the Riyale and his tugs to stay away from their schools. This includes altering the way government funds are used to pay for education services. In what some education analysts are calling the most striking changes in government education policy since the "British Colonial" programs of Riyale administration has proposed that parents be allowed to use their funds to pay for another location after proposing to close sheikh Bashir and then private schooling or private tutoring. The administration also does not want parents to have the option of moving their children from consistently failing schools to other public schools. Further, it proposes to close those schools whose students consistently test above basic levels on standardized tests, or the replacement of teachers and administrators. (Reverse Education Plan". These proposals are appear radical, and the proof is in the details. These changes would be so severe, so unprecedented, progressive educators warn, that public schools and Somaliland Education systems nationally would be devastated. We respect Somaliland Education system as an indispensable tool of our future. However, we believe in using school sites not for punitive purposes, but to diagnose strengths and weaknesses so we can give every child the individual assistance he or she needs to succeed. By contrast, many politicians apparently favor using student tests as high-stakes instruments for determining winners and losers among our children. School excellence is about ensuring that all children have access to high-quality schools and qualified teachers. And it is about mobilizing tough-minded interventions to ensure that low-achieving students have a fighting chance to succeed not closing or selling their schools. We steadfastly oppose closing any schools or selling any government properties and we urge the Congress called in Emergency session to tackle these alarming issues in our country. Congress should reject these proposals. Education is a core responsibility of government if they are really care about the future of their young generations. We staunchly oppose any measures that weaken the ability of public schools to meet this obligation. Where there is no effort to improve school facilities or to provide adequate libraries, laboratories, computers and other learning necessities, the burden of improving education is dumped solely on the pupils. Under this condition, with gross sins of omission, national testing with high stakes and scores that will remain with students for a lifetime become instruments for the oppression of students. Without adequate resources, students attending schools located in poor urban and rural areas will not have the opportunity to perform to their potential on these tests and now we are closing their schools. Somaliland Citizens need to wake up now before it is too late to do any quick fix or remedy for the future of our country and our children future. Dr. Shacabi email: shacabi@yahoo.com