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Poor
resources hinder academic growth in Ethiopia
By Mr. Noel Okoth,
All Africa News Agency |
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 Ten
years ago, Ethiopia joined 155 countries of the world at Jomtein,
Thailand and committed herself to universal access to primary
education by the year 2000. |
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The
country also undertook to eradicate adult illiteracy within
the decade, expand education and training in essential skills
and improve early childhood care and developmental activities.
But despite Jomtein's lofty ideas, many people are still excluded
at all levels of education. |
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And
this is not because Ethiopia had not been trying. Immense progress
has been made characteristically pushing literacy level from
less than 35 percent in 1990 to about 65 percent. |
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According
to World Bank education researchers, this is no mean task
for a country frequently hit by famine and local armed opposition
movements. Economic performance is also marred by drought
and environment degradation while the current war with Eritrea
has not been conducive to Ethiopia's attempts to attain Education
for All.
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Characteristically
in Ethiopia, and indeed many other countries in Sub-Saharan
Africa, the crucial challenge facing education is linked to
limitation of resources. Severe economic constraints have prevented
most African countries to respond adequately to rising demands
for improved social services in education and health. |
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"For
decades now there has been a scramble for meager financial resources
in Ethiopia among contending social sectors," says Ingemar Gustafsson,
Director of Education of the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency. Throughout the 1990s the ominous choice
has been whether teaching the alphabet should take precedence
over planting trees or providing basic health services to children
and expectant mothers threatened by high morbidity and mortality. |
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Even
under those harsh choices Ethiopia is spending four percent
of its Gross National Product GNP on education. Enrolment particularly
at the primary level has shot up with 55 percent of enrolled
pupils from each cohort attaining five years of education. |
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Whereas
for decades education suffered from internal weaknesses, the
government has moved to eradicate disparities and unevenness
existing between genders, rural and urban areas. The number
of girls enrolled in primary has risen to 40 percent in 1997
from 30 percent in1990. |
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The
number of girls enrolled in secondary has steadily risen to
43 percent in 1997 as compared to less than 30 percent ten years
ago. Statistics from the Ministry of Education indicate that
transition rates from primary level to secondary among girls
have considerably improved. |
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However,
the government with assistance from the World Bank has embarked
on a massive project worth US $ 100 million towards erasing
the existing gaps in enrolment and achievement between boys
and girls. "Investment in girls' education in Ethiopia as elsewhere
in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to increase women's labor
force participation rates and earnings," says Dr Ruth Kagia,
Manager at World Bank's Human Development Unit. |
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Consequently,
girls' education would eventually result to women having fewer
children, lower infant, child and maternal mortality rates create
inter-generation educational gains and yield significant environment
benefits. It would also lead to reduction in health costs and
eventually improve living standards and quality of lives among
Ethiopian communities. |
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Towards
improvement of girls' education, the government will spend project
resources in providing incentives for gender attendance. "Scholarships,
textbooks, school meals and basic health care will be provided
as well as improving the quality of schools' infrastructure
and relevance of education," says Dr Kagia. |
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The
government is also sensitising parents and communities on importance
of girls' education by accommodating salient socio-cultural
values. Supportive national policies that target girls' education
have been put in place, as well as eradicating gender biases
in labour market. |
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Equally
important, the curriculum has been reformed with each of 14
provinces allowed to chose the language of instruction in schools.
In accordance with the new changes, several local languages
have been introduced to replace Amharic as language of instruction
in primary schools where Amharic is not the mother tongue. |
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So
far, Oromigna, Tigrina, Welaitigna and Sidamigna have been adapted
as medium of instruction in various provinces for grades 1-6.
Similarly Arabic is being used as the language of communication
in schools in Benishangul province, where it is widely used.
For the first time in the history of Ethiopia, several local
languages apart from Amharic are being used as medium of instruction
in schools. They are also examinable subjects of the curriculum. |
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Undoubtedly
Ethiopia's education programme has been under intense pressure
to produce teachers capable of teaching regional and national
languages. So far English has replaced Amharic as lingua franca
and as medium of instruction in secondary schools. |
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Moving
towards a multi-lingual education system has not been so easy
for Ethiopia. Teachers and supervisory staff had to be trained
or transferred to their own regions or areas where they can
teach in the national languages. Rapid expansion of education
has marked an increase in average class sizes all over the country. |
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Even
so, disparities are severe between urban and rural schools and
different grades. Ostensibly urban schools are under great pressure
and class sizes in the lower grades can well be over 70 pupils.
"Lowest grades are the most crowded and significantly contribute
to the high rate of attrition in grades 1-3 both in rural and
urban schools," say education officials. |
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Whereas
the government continues to build more learning facilities in
commitment to Education For All, the supply has failed to match
the demand for schools. An inevitable outcome is that quality
of education is drastically compromised in favour of equity
by bringing as many pupils as possible into the education programme. |
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However,
in this dilemma, Ethiopia is not alone since many countries
in Sub-Saharan Africa are faced by the task of improving the
quality while addressing the issue of equity. The emerging scenario
is that the government has taken remedies towards improving
quality of education. |
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Self-reliant
communities are being involved in supporting programmes through
contributions in labour, cash and kind. This phenomenon has
proved to be encouraging especially at the non-formal education
programmes, where the growing enrolment rate of neo-literate
continues to create a bulge at elementary school level. Similar
strategies are also being adapted at early childhood education
and care programmes across the country. |
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Besides,
teacher education has improved considerably with teacher-pupil
ratio standing at 1:38 in primary school and 1:32 in secondary.
Deficiencies in teacher education are also being addressed through
teacher training and in-service training schemes. |
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On
economic terms, Ethiopia may be a poor country, but it has put
a strong struggle in a campaign to empower its people through
education. Jomtein's ideals might be hard to accomplish but,
Ethiopia is quietly giving its people tools to change their
world. |
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