Somali students gain access to UK universities through new school accreditation

Türkiye’s Ambassador to Somalia, Ferhat Alkan, visited the Somali International Maarif Schools in Mogadishu to meet with students and teachers.

The schools operate under the Türkiye Maarif Foundation, a Turkish organization that manages international education. The foundation took over these schools in November 2016 after the Somali government revoked the licenses of a previous group linked to the Gülen movement. The school now holds Oxford AQA-approved centre status, which provides students with internationally recognized examinations.

Previously, Somali students had to travel to Kenya or Ethiopia to take IGCSE and A-Level exams. This new accreditation allows students to sit for these exams within Somalia, creating direct pathways to universities and employers in the United Kingdom and Europe. Ambassador Alkan told the school staff and students that investing in education builds a bright future for the country. The schools have operated in Somalia for a decade and have campuses in three locations across the nation.