Addis Ababa University Graduate School of Social Work
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Addis Ababa University Graduate School of Social Work Ethiopian Social Policy Reader Volume 2 Prepared by: 2008 First Year Masters Students Edited by: Dr Deborah Zinn, Dr Richard Kordesh, Dr Alice Butterfield Johnson, Ato Zena Berhanu 2008 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Ethiopian Social Policy Reader 2008 (Volumes 1, 2 & 3) Editors: Dr Deborah Zinn, Dr Richard Kordesh, Dr Alice Butterfield Johnson, Ato Zena Berhanu, Ethiopian Social Work Management & Leadership Reader 2008 Editors: Dr Deborah Zinn and Ato Moges Tafesse Rationale: When I arrived in Ethiopia in September 2008 (the year 2000 in the Ethiopian Calendar), there was no consolidated reference to help me understand Ethiopian social policy. The idea of compiling student work from the Management & Leadership and Social Policy courses of the School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, came to me and was discussed with the students. All agreed to publish what is now entitled the Ethiopian Social Policy Reader 2008 and Ethiopian Social Work Management & Leadership Reader 2008. These papers are the work of 1st year Masters of Social Work (MSW) students. All students have long years of experience, teaching at University level, living in Ethiopia or working in NGOs (non-government organizations). We have much to learn from their writing. The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic. However, after primary level, all education, including University-level, is in English. This presents a challenge, both for the writer as well as the reader. Audience: The audience for this book is scholars outside of Ethiopia, worldwide Faculty who will be visiting or teaching in Ethiopia as well as undergraduate and graduate students in a variety of disciplines. And the general public. Beginning of a dialogue… We invite you to enter into a dialogue with us. Join our Google Group at this link – then click “Join this Group”. Membership is free, but you may need to create a Google Account. Or contact, Moderator, Dr Deborah Zinn, [email protected] http://groups.google.com/group/ethiopian-social-policy-reader-2008 Acknowledgements: First, thank you to Dr Richard Kordesh, Dr Alice Butterfield Johnson, Ato Zena Berhanu, Ato Moges Tafesse my co-teachers in the Social Policy and Management & Leadership courses. I would also like to thank Dr Rosemary Sarri, Institute for Social Research and School of Social Work, University of Michigan and Dr James Rollin from whom I learned of the opportunity to teach at the School of Social Work, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with IFESH (International Foundation for Education and Self Help). My Mother has supported my trip and work in Ethiopia. And she has contributed the funds to make the publishing of these papers possible. She was my first teacher and from her I continue to learn many, many skills and philosophies that support me today. Ethiopian Social Policy Reader 2008 Table of Contents Volume 1 Section 1: Children Section 2: Corruption & Drug Abuse Volume 2 Section 3: Education Section 4: HIV/AIDS Volume 3 Section 6: Women & Families Section 7: Women’s Health Section 8: Youth Unemployment Ethiopian Social Policy Reader 2008 Table of Contents Volume 2 Section 3: Education Creating Access to Pre-school Education for Children in Ethiopia, Sebsebie Abera Ethnic Conflict among Ethiopian Youth in Higher Education, Yemajiwork Hailemariam Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Institutions, Retta Getachew Special Needs Education-Disability, Ayele Negeri Section 4: HIV/AIDS Problem Definition and Analysis of HIV/AIDS, Atsede Bezabih Using ART Adherence Support as A Tool For Combating the Impact Of HIV/AIDS In Ethiopia, Betelehem Tsedeke Vulnerability of Persons with disabilities to HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, Yetnebersh Nigussie Vulnerability of Women to HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, Bizuayehu Ayele Section 5: Rural & Urban (Addis Ababa) Exploring rural-urban migration and analyzing its policy environment in Ethiopia, Ayalu Admass Pastoral poverty in Ethiopia, Seble Mitike Public Transportation Problem in Addis Ababa, Gashaw Asefa Urban Resettlement Administration Problem: In the Case of Addis Ababa, Zelalem Ayalew SOCIAL POLICY ANALYSIS 1 Running Head: PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION POLICY ANALYSIS Creating Access to Pre-school Education for Children in Ethiopia Submitted By Sebsebie Abera Addis Ababa University Graduate School of Social Work (A Policy Analysis Assignment for the Requirement of the Course in Social Policy) June 16, 2008 Addis Ababa SOCIAL POLICY ANALYSIS 2 CONTENTS ACRONYMS.............................................................................................................................3 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................4 DESCRIPTION OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM .......................................................................5 GOAL AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED POLICY ................................................12 POSSIBLE POLICY/ STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS ................................................................13 EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR COMPARING THE POLICY ALTERNATIVES ...........14 COMPARISION OF POLICY/ STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES .........................................16 PRESENTATION AND EXPLANATION OF CONCLUDING ARGUMENT....................19 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................24 APPENDICES .........................................................................................................................25 SOCIAL POLICY ANALYSIS 3 ACRONYMS CBO Community Based Organization EFA Education for All EIMS Education Information Management System EPRDF Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front ESDP Education Sector Development Program GER Gross Enrolment Rate MDGs Millennium Development Goals MOE Ministry of Education NGO Non-Governmental Organization SNNP Southern Nation and Nationalities Peoples UN United Nations UNESCO United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations Children Fund UPE Universal Primary Education SOCIAL POLICY ANALYSIS 4 INTRODUCTION History has shown mankind the fact that education is the key to social, economic and political development. Science also proved that investment in education during early childhood brings in significant long term benefits for children, their families and the society. The United nation child right convention also states that all children have the right to be given the very best start in life (UN.1989). Preschool education is a planned education program for children in the years before school. It must be child focused and directed primarily to the education and development of children, whilst recognizing and supporting the needs of each child within their family and community. Various studies underlined the fact that the value of early childhood education is not just in setting the foundations for cognitive, physical, emotional, and social and language development. It is often essential in terms of the detection of impediments to learning which, if not attended to, could affect a child’s learning potential for the rest of their life. Considering the value of education the government of Ethiopia had included pre- school education program as part of the formal basic education program in the new education and training policy of Ethiopia (MOE. 1995). However, the program implementation periodic reports clearly depict the fact that the program coverage is still less than 3% and mainly concentrates in the capital city and other few major towns. Because of the limited access to this social service millions of children are grown up with out proper care and development and they become more vulnerable to a range of social problems. Therefore, so as to know the situation and identify the causes of the problem and to come up with alternative strategies I have tried to review relevant documents and interviewed pertinent concerned bodies and then produced this paper which provides alternative strategies that will enable to boost the preschool service and reduce the problem. SOCIAL POLICY ANALYSIS 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM The Ethiopian Government adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on December 1991 and thus becomes an integral part of the law of the land. Furthermore, policy documents on health, education and social welfare articulate statements that uphold the protection, care, health and optimal development of the child within their sphere of influence. Pre-school education is one of the essential elements of Universal Primary Education [UPE] and the Millennium Development Goals1. Ethiopia is one of the countries, which committed herself to the achievement of UPE by the year 2015. In relation to this, the Education and Training Policy of Ethiopia states, “Kindergarten will focus on all-round development of the child in preparation for formal schooling.”2 But, the implementation of pre-school education is very minimal. Although it has shown a gradual increment from year to year it is still insignificant compared to the years counted and the number of target population to be served. For instance within seven years time following the development of the new education and training policy only 2.0% of age 4-6 children had access to pre- primary education at national level and it has shown only 0.7% increments in six years time until 2005/06. Table 1. Pre- school Coverage (%) by Region and Year3 Regions Year ddis Aba Tigray