What is the actual literacy rate in Somalia, considering almost everyone goes Dugsi?

[CanoGeel]

About 80% , Would you say?

 

[CanoGeel]

What would it be if we switched from Roman to Arabic Script as in the case of Pakistan and Iran?

 

[reer]

What would it be if we switched from Roman to Arabic as in the case of Pakistan and Iran?

literacy rate would skyrocket.

 

[CanoGeel]

literacy rate would skyrocket.

I think we could unlock an exponential Human Capital in education by leaps and bounds,

 

[Periplus]

If we had the Arabic script, Somali literally would hit the 90s.

 

[AbdiFreedom]

The literacy rate is very low. There is a reason why there are large colourful drawings of khat, fruits and vegetables, gold, medicine and others on storefronts. It's for the large illiterate population.

 

[codewebsduh]

Around 37% in Somalia.

 

[IPushFatKids]

literacy rate would skyrocket.

I think we could unlock an exponential Human Capital in education by leaps and bounds,

An extremely bad idea.

Switching script to Arabic so locals could read af somali, will technically increase literacy but would mostly be a cosmetic change that won’t move the needle at all.

How would local population understanding to read/write Somali “unlock exponential human capital”? Will learning to read af Somali allow students to read medical journals? Or partake in research with foreign scholars? Or even let them consume knowledge from the internet? No, no and no. The only use of learning written af Somali is perhaps reading street signs and understanding written government communication, which again, does not move the needle.

Time would be much better spent actually teaching the English alphabet so they can read Somali.

Another benefit of this approach is that l, learning English would be easier as they would already be familiar with the English alphabet.

 

[Bluefire]

An extremely bad idea.

Switching script to Arabic so locals could read af somali, will technically increase literacy but would mostly be a cosmetic change that won’t move the needle at all.

How would local population understanding to read/write Somali “unlock exponential human capital”? Will learning to read af Somali allow students to read medical journals? Or partake in research with foreign scholars? Or even let them consume knowledge from the internet? No, no and no. The only use of learning written af Somali is perhaps reading street signs and understanding written government communication, which again, does not move the needle.

Time would be much better spent actually teaching the English alphabet so they can read Somali.

Another benefit of this approach is that l, learning English would be easier as they would already be familiar with the English alphabet.

Do what east asians do.Have a small segment of you population fluent in foreign languages and get them to translate everything.

Also this would help with keeping somalis from foreign influences cos the majority would speak only Somali.

 

[BobSmoke]

If we already struggling with Latin as it is, what makes y'all think switching to Arabic is gonna help anything? . As long as we stick to Latin, it will be easier to read and learn other languages for trade, connection and more things in general.
Without it, we would be obsolete, uncompetitive, culturally irrelevant people.

 

[IPushFatKids]

Do what east asians do.Have a small segment of you population fluent in foreign languages and get them to translate everything.

Also this would help with keeping somalis from foreign influences cos the majority would speak only Somali.

Somalia can't follow the example of Chinese/Japanese/Korea of mass translating technical books, journals etc for the simple reason our population is small and cannot sustain that effort. And linguistically, it might not even be possible.... China is 1bn people, it's economically feasible and even possible for them to do this as they have many millions of scholars and academics to do this work. It's simply not possible for Somalia.

"Also this would help with keeping somalis from foreign influences cos the majority would speak only Somali."

What an all round absurd thing to say. Foreign influences? Do you mean you'd like to keep Somali's ignorant so they don't hear about gay rights or something?

 

[Kanan]

Arabic is easier to read and mold Somali language with similar vowels. Arabic is very versatile in that regard.

 

[Clllam]

A standard Arabic-Somali script for official use was the logical thing to do as a continuation of ‘Wadad’ writing.

 

[Shimbiris]

A standard Arabic-Somali script for official use was the logical thing to do as a continuation of ‘Wadad’ writing.

And most elites were literate in Arabic and even knew the language. It was our main written language and script for about a milennia. It's a shame we forsook it.

 

[CanoGeel]

An extremely bad idea.

Switching script to Arabic so locals could read af somali, will technically increase literacy but would mostly be a cosmetic change that won’t move the needle at all.

How would local population understanding to read/write Somali “unlock exponential human capital”? Will learning to read af Somali allow students to read medical journals? Or partake in research with foreign scholars? Or even let them consume knowledge from the internet? No, no and no. The only use of learning written af Somali is perhaps reading street signs and understanding written government communication, which again, does not move the needle.

Time would be much better spent actually teaching the English alphabet so they can read Somali.

Another benefit of this approach is that l, learning English would be easier as they would already be familiar with the English alphabet.

I think simply without being didactic and verbose, My Baadiyo living cousin could write me in Arabic Script Af-Somali and I could send her some change along with translated
2021 Editor's choice article about Pastoralists and Preventive Veterinary Medicine from Journal of Ameri-Vet Medical Assoc.

I believe that would at least spark her curiosity about science and knowledge in general cus she already applies traditional methods to treat their sick livestock.

Unfortunately, Now we just talk since she cant write in Latin Script despite being literate in Arabic!

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[Hybrid()]

Facebook has force millions of illiterate Somalis to teach themselves how to read and write. All of my reer baadiye cousins who never gone to school or dugsi can write good Somali on Facebook.

 

[Hybrid()]

I think simply without being didactic and verbose, My Baadiyo living cousin could write me in Arabic Script Af-Somali and I could send her some change along with translated
2021 Editor's choice article about Pastoralists and Preventive Veterinary Medicine from Journal of Ameri-Vet Medical Assoc.

I believe that would at least spark her curiosity about science and knowledge in general cus she already applies traditional methods to treat their sick livestock.

Unfortunately, Now we just talk since she cant write in Latin Script despite being literate in Arabic!

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Actually most reer baadiye nomads don't know how to read and write the Arabic script because most don't have time to go to dugsi. On average, only 1 kid from a family gets a chance to go to dugsi.

 

[Kingmufasa]

Being literate means also understanding what you read and write. Yes, more than 80% of the Somali Population can read and write Arabic but they can understand the bare minimum or nothing at all

 

[Bluefire]

Somalia can't follow the example of Chinese/Japanese/Korea of mass translating technical books, journals etc for the simple reason our population is small and cannot sustain that effort. And linguistically, it might not even be possible.... China is 1bn people, it's economically feasible and even possible for them to do this as they have many millions of scholars and academics to do this work. It's simply not possible for Somalia.

"Also this would help with keeping somalis from foreign influences cos the majority would speak only Somali."

What an all round absurd thing to say. Foreign influences? Do you mean you'd like to keep Somali's ignorant so they don't hear about gay rights or something?

You don't need millons of people to do that, just a few thousand dedicated translators.

"What an all round absurd thing to say. Foreign influences? Do you mean you'd like to keep Somali's ignorant so they don't hear about gay rights or something?"

Calm down mate. I simply meant reduce the amount of foreign influence in Somalia. Somalis already bleach their skin to look more like their favorite Bollywood stars what do you think a more developed Somalia would do? Narrow their eyes when K-pop get introduced?

I mean look at how much Somalis like turkey. its just embarrassing.

 

[Dualke]

Somalia's literacy rate currently is 40% whereas prior to barres regime it was less than 5, so I personally don't think it makes much of a difference. Reading Qur'an with the harakat is a lot different than reading regular Arabic without it which usually includes a lot more instruction