Conceptualizations and Impacts of Multiculturalism in the Ethiopian Education System
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Conceptualizations and Impacts of Multiculturalism in the Ethiopian Education System by Fisseha Yacob Belay A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Fisseha Yacob Belay 2016 Conceptualizations and Impacts of Multiculturalism in the Ethiopian Education System Fisseha Yacob Belay Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning University of Toronto 2016 Abstract This research, using critical qualitative research methods, explores the conceptualization and impact of multiculturalism within the Ethiopian education context. The essence of multiculturalism is to develop harmonious coexistence among people from diverse ethnic, social and cultural backgrounds. The current Ethiopian regime has used the ethnic federalism policy to restructure Ethiopia’s geopolitical, social and education policies along ethnic and linguistic lines. The official discourse of Ethiopian ethnic federalism and multicultural policies has emphasized the liberal values of diversity, tolerance, and recognition of minority groups. However, its application has resulted in negative ethnicity and social conflicts among different ethnic groups. Two universities, one in Oromia and another in Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s (SNNP) region, were selected using purposive sampling for this study. Document analysis and in-depth interviews were used to collect data from ten professors, ten students and three curricular experts. The findings of this study revealed that Ethiopian multiculturalism has stemmed from the ethnic federalism political system; however, participants’ conceptualizations ranged from unity to division and difference to allegiance. Data further revealed that the impact of multiculturalism in the Ethiopian education system has involved mother tongue usage, quality of education, lack of leadership and foreign policy, while the impact on inter-ethnic relationships ii includes the declining social cohesion, the rise of ‘narrow nationalism’ and the implication of ethnic conflicts. This study discusses the effects the politics on language use, the declining quality of education and policy transfer all have within the Ethiopian education system. In addition, the study addresses the proliferation of negative ethnicity and the path to genocide. Finally, it makes recommendations to educators and policy makers to improve the education system as well as provide an environment to cultivate ethnic harmonious coexistence. iii Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty God, for I have been given the most precious family, education, and endless love from my wife and children. Without His grace and blessings, this journey would not have been possible. Next, I am deeply indebted to my wife Lisa and I do not have words to express how much you mean to me. Thank you for your patience and putting up with me throughout my highs and lows. Not only are you my wife, but you are also my best friend and the mother of my precious babies. I am forever grateful to my God that I have you in my life. I am also thankful for my precious babies, Kalkidan, Ezana, Blaine and Robel, who have inspired me to persevere and stay focused on this journey. Kalkidan, my promise, you gave me divine love and you became my inspiration to enjoy everyday and seek a better tomorrow. You brought endless love to our family. You are a kindhearted soul who taught me the secrets of fatherhood. I love you so much! Ezana, my king, you are precious and an inspiration to my success. You made me want to see tomorrow and filled my life with joy. Everyday, you have made me realize how blessed I am to have you. Blaine, the center of my eye, you are my ruling princess who sends me to heaven with your glowing smile and laughter every day. Your happiness lights up my world. You are the spice of my life and I cannot imagine a day without you. Thank you for inspiring me in life. Robel, my joy, I love you more than you can imagine. My precious little boy, you mean the world to me and encourage me to become a success. Your arrival has brought us so many blessings and you are my motivation. I love you dearly and thank you! I am also grateful to my mother Ehitabeba, my father Yacob, my sisters Sewasew, Fetle and Almaz; my brothers Chombe, Tedy, Cheru, Mamushye, and Yihuko; and my uncles Gash Amde and Silo. Thank you for your unconditional love and support. I love you all. Etabiye, you iv are my teacher, my mentor and above all you are my precious mother. You are my foundation and you sacrificed your life and raised a blessed family. Thank you for your unconditional love, prayers and support. Dad, I love you and miss you so much. I am so grateful to complete my PhD and honour your wishes. I know how much my success means to you. Your words of wisdom and endless love paved the way for my success. Thank you! I would also like to extend my gratitude to my supervisor professor Njoki Wane for her guidance, mentorship and assistance throughout my journey. Professor Njoki, you are a wonderful human being with excellent mentorship skills. I do not think that I can thank you enough for your dedications and commitment to my success. Above all, thank you for believing in me and making me see the possibilities during my most distressed times. Your scholarly engagement taught me to persevere and has uplifted my spirits. Thank you for your love from within. Asante Sana! I am also thankful to my academic support from OISE, specifically Professors Sarfaroz Niyozov, Julie Kerekes, and Rinaldo Walcott for their assistance throughout my study. Sarfaroz you helped me begin my journey and saw me through many difficult times. I missed you on your move but will forever be grateful for your guidance and dedication to my goal. Thank you for walking this journey with me. Your scholarly guidance and advice has shaped my work and kept me in focus. You have always provided me with insightful and thought-provoking ideas. From the bottom of my heart, thank you very much. Julie and Rinaldo, thank you sincerely for your feedback and support throughout this journey. Julie, you have brought great contextual insight into this study. Your knowledge, time and ongoing support has been really appreciated and means more than you will ever know. Betam Ameseginalhu! v Finally, I like to thank the wider OISE community and my dear friends Yonas, Mourad, Asia, Wangui, Fana, Shife, Wonde, Ase, Dawit, Tayu and others who are not mentioned here. From the bottom of my heart I thank everyone who has assisted me on my journey. Thank you! Ameseginalhu! vi Table of Contents Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ vii Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables, Maps and Figure ................................................................................................. xi List of Appendices ........................................................................... Error! 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Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Rationale ................................................................................................................................... 3 Significance of the Study ......................................................................................................... 5 Personal Location .................................................................................................................... 6 Research Questions ................................................................................................................. 7 Outline of the Dissertation ...................................................................................................... 8 Chapter Two: Context .................................................................................................................. 9 Ethiopian Context .................................................................................................................... 9 Study Context ......................................................................................................................... 12 The Southern Nations, Nationalities People's Region ........................................................ 13 The Oromia Region ............................................................................................................... 16 History of Education in Ethiopia ......................................................................................... 18 Traditional Education ........................................................................................................... 18 Modern Education ................................................................................................................. 18 Education Structure in Ethiopia .........................................................................................