The Federal Government of Somalia and Somaliland have established language of instruction policies that designate Somali as the primary medium of instruction in the early years of schooling, with English and Arabic introduced at the secondary level, particularly for science, technical, and religious subjects. These policies are embedded in national education laws and curricula, reflecting efforts to promote national identity, cultural cohesion, and alignment with regional education standards. While these language policies are consistent across public education systems in both jurisdictions, they can present challenges for forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugee-returnees, who may have previously studied in different linguistic environments—such as in neighboring countries where Kiswahili, Amharic, or other languages are used in schools.

For displaced learners returning to Somalia or relocating to new regions within the country, language barriers can hinder reintegration into the national education system, affect learning outcomes, and increase the risk of dropouts. Despite this, the legal and policy frameworks maintain a unified national approach to language instruction while allowing some flexibility in practice, particularly in humanitarian or transitional education settings supported by NGOs and international partners. These efforts may include remedial language support, multilingual learning materials, and teacher training to support language inclusion. Overall, while language policies are firmly established in law, complementary interventions continue to be important to ensure displaced learners can fully participate and succeed in the education systems of both Somalia and Somaliland.