GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 () 3. The challenges facing in Ethiopia

Summary Curriculum Links – A level Education This topic gives students the chance to examine some of the Sustainable Development complexities surrounding Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality The impact of development Education. Most of the available evidence suggests that Millennium Economic and social inequalities Development Goal 1 – Achieving Universal Primary Education, was Narrowing the development gap achieved in Ethiopia. Key Words Sub-Saharan Africa has had the best record of improvement in primary education of any region since the MDGs were established in 2000. The Millennium Development Goals region achieved a 20 percentage point increase in the net enrolment rate Sustainable Development Goals from 2000 to 2015 compared to a gain of 8 percentage points between Non-Government Organisation (NGO) 1990 and 2000. Today (2016) around 99% of primary cage children attend school, a marked change since the 1990s. Questions to consider It is difficult to get up-to-date data on the situation in Ethiopia, but one set of figures highlights the progress made against this goal and suggests 1. What are the challenges of meeting that in 1994/5 only 3 million children were enrolled in primary education Sustainable Development Goal 4 compared to 15.5 million in 2008/9. Primary enrolment hit 85.4% in especially in rural areas? 2011/12 according to Save the Children. 2. What other issues face Ethiopia’s The obvious challenge for a country such as Ethiopia is balancing education sector given its diverse ethnic quantity and quality. The impact that increasing school numbers have had on education in Ethiopia is huge. There is also the on-going challenge and religious population? of educating a still largely rural population, especially given some of the 3. What are the advantages and regional disparities in the country (e.g. enrolment rates of only 32% in the Afar region) and the continuation of traditional practices such as disadvantages of the plasma TV early marriage and the favouring of boys over girls with regard to revolution in Ethiopian schools? education. 4. What is the role of local or international NGOs in supporting education in Ethiopia?

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Figure 1. Mark International Academy, a private primary school at Ketema in the north-west of [August 2013] ©Dr Kevin Cook

Background information provided by Study Tour participant Tara Sleggs

Education in Ethiopia:

Education in Ethiopia was dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. The ruling elite, mostly Christians and the central Amhara population, had most of the privileges until 1974 when the Socialist government tried to reach the rural areas for the first time. The current system is likewise concerned with school expansion to the rural areas, with the added dimension of regional languages being taught at the primary and elementary stages.

The sequence of general education in Ethiopia is eight years of elementary school followed by two years of secondary school and two years of preparatory school as a preparation for . Lessons are taught in Amharic or local languages for most of the elementary school years, but there is a great emphasis on learning English at this stage. When a child moves to secondary school, all lessons are officially carried out in the English language. There are also various other educational paths including non-formal education, and technical and vocational colleges.

Plasma screen education was brought in by the present government in 2004 in order to supply a solution to various educational difficulties. This means that, in many secondary schools, a number of hours a day are dedicated to the compulsory use of pre-recorded lessons beamed to the school by satellite. This has been a mixed blessing, as might be expected from any catch-all solution.

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In general, the Government has concentrated its resources on preparatory and university education. This has meant that local communities have had to bear an enormous financial burden in order to try to fund the schools in their midst. There has been a wide expansion of the university system in the last few years, and this has meant that certain towns have seen an enormous growth in population, at least during term time.

Teacher training

Primary school teachers are trained in teacher training colleges and this is a vocational route available for grade 10 students who do not obtain the necessary grades for preparatory level. Secondary school teachers are trained in . Until recently this was part of a three year program where students learned educational theory alongside their chosen subject. Supervision of teaching practice was done by subject specialists rather than education specialists and as a result focused heavily on teaching content rather than delivery or teaching skills. More recently there has been a shift towards a one year teaching qualification after a three year degree – similar to the PGCE in the UK. Quantity vs Quality?

Ethiopia almost reached Millennium Development Goal two (MDG2) of universal primary education for all by 2015 which is a real achievement. Ethiopia is the 3rd most improved country in the world for primary enrolment rates since 2000 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, September 2011). Public spending on education has increased from 19.8% of the national budget in 2004/5 to 27.2% in 2013 and from around 2% of GDP in the 1980s to around 4.5% today. This is about the same proportion as the UK but not, of course, the same amount. However, this progress in Figure 2. A comparison of the UK and Ethiopian terms of enrolment is marred with decline in quality and education systems. Note the differences in starting high dropout rates. The surge in school enrolment has also age and the number of examination years. pushed Ethiopian schools beyond their capacity.

As a result, the quality of education is decreasing. Ethiopian schools have struggled to cope with a 500% increase in enrolment in the past 20 years. The increased demand in education and the resulting strain on teachers and resources means that pupils’ individual achievements are suffering. Indeed, secondary school dropout rates remain high.

Possible solutions?

In a bid to tackle the issues relating to ‘quality’ of education, the government with the support of Voluntary Service Overseas, the UK Department for International Development and the World Bank, has been working on improving the quality of teacher training. In both teacher training colleges and universities all staff involved in teacher training are required to complete a Higher Diploma Programme (HDP) which is a one year qualification which aims to encourage more active learning, assessment for learning and more reflective teaching practice. Other local and international charities such as Link Ethiopia and Plan International are also working towards improving the quality of education.

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References:

Abera, B. (2013) The plasma-based instruction in Ethiopia: Utopia or Dystopia? Academic Journals Vol 8. No 24. https://www.academia.edu/3559362/The_Plasma-Channeled_Instruction_in_Ethiopia_Utopia_or_Dystopia

Kahsay, M. N. (2012) Quality and Quantity Assurance in Ethiopian : Critical Issues and Practical Implications. http://www.utwente.nl/mb/cheps/phdportal/CHEPS%20Alumni%20and%20Their%20Theses/thesis%20Kahsay%20fi nal.pdf

Link Ethiopia (2017). Tablets Enable Learning in Ethiopian Villages. http://www.linkethiopia.org/blog/2012/11/02/tablets-enable-learning-in-ethiopian-villages/

Provost, C. (2012) UK aid for education in east Africa is failing. Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global- development/2012/may/18/uk-aid-education-africa-failing

VOA. (2012) Ethiopia Set to Achieve Universal Primary Education by 2015. http://www.voanews.com/content/ethiopia-set-to-achieve-universal-primary-education-by-2015- 139051809/159579.html

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