Educating Somali Children in Britain

Many Somalis living in Britain today have only lately fled the strife in Somalia. The instability in their homeland means that a considerable number of the children have no experience of formal schooling and all will need special provision for learning English. This handbook is intended to assist headteachers and teachers to respond to the Somali children in their schools. Mohamed Kabin provides a vivid picture of the land, and the political struggles that have driven people to leave it. He describes the asylum procedures in the UK and the difficulties of settling in a cold grey climate where an outdoor life is an impossibility and where families may be fragmented. Mohamed Kabin offers insight into the Somali language and its rich oral literature and into the children's support needs for learning English as an additional language. He shares his inside knowledge and offers valuable guidance on the spiritual and emotional needs of Somali pupils, even on sensitive issues such as ritual fibulation of girls. Personal testimonies and brief case studies bring Somali children's immigration experience to life in a way that is relevant to all educators and carers working with these and other refugees.… (more)