The research set out to explore the reasons for changes in educational achievement together with
changes in exclusion patterns amongst young Somalis in Camden. Having explored Camden
Council’s data, SYDRC focused on exploring the perceptions of young Somalis themselves and
their parents.
Education is highly valued by the Somali community in London. Somalis regard education as the key to a successful future and like many migrant communities the younger generations feels a sense of ‘having to succeed’ and taking advantage of the opportunities that had been unavailable to so many of their parents.
This research started from the Somali community’s commitment to ensuring that young people should aspire and achieve their potential through their education in Britain. This commitment emerged most powerfully, constituting a continuing theme, both amongst the parents and amongst the young people themselves. This was illustrated, for example, by the extent to which Somali parents were prepared to pay for extra tuition to improve their children’s performance.