By Staff Reporter
ADDIS ABABA – (BORKENA) – The grades achieved by students who recently completed the Ethiopian School Leaving Examination (ESLE) have ignited widespread discussions and concerns throughout the nation. Many are deeply dissatisfied with the current state of affairs in the education sector, raising questions about its overall effectiveness.
Out of the 845,000 students who sat for the 12th-grade national exam during the last Ethiopian Academic Year (2015 EFY), a mere 27,276, representing just 3.2 percent, managed to obtain the passing grade necessary for university enrollment, as reported by the Ministry of Education.
Professor Birhanu Nega, the Minister of Education, pointed out that among the 3,106 schools that administered this year’s 12th-grade school leaving national examination, a troubling 1,328 of them, or 42.8 percent, failed to produce a single student who reached the passing threshold.
Numerous voices within the community are increasingly holding the Ministry of Education accountable for this state of affairs. They wonder why such a downturn has persisted in the education system for several years. Who will advocate for the nation’s educational future, and where does the root of the problem lie?
Similar dismal results were recorded last year, and yet we find ourselves confronted with the same disheartening scores. It raises the question of why the Members of Parliament remain conspicuously silent on this matter. Why haven’t they demanded answers from the Ministry of Education regarding the deteriorating education system?
Furthermore, the Minister, Professor Birhanu Nega, seems impassive to the prevailing ineffectiveness. Many are beginning to wonder why he has not proposed any remedial measures to address the recurring problem from the previous academic year. If he cannot formulate a plan to rectify this failing system, perhaps he should consider submitting his resignation. What would he do if his own children were among the unfortunate and unsuccessful school leavers? Ethiopians are eagerly awaiting answers.
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Subject: “Ethiopians Express Concern Over Failing Education System October 10, 2023
Greetings Dr. Berhanu Nega (PhD), Minister for Education
I don’t know you; you don’t know me
Your sincere photograph reflects every thing over the “Failing Education System”.
As a Minister of the Education System of Ethiopia it MUST hurt beyond words
Dear Sir, as a Human Being too the sadness shows on your face.
I sympathy you as a Minister and RESPECT you as Honest Human Being
I wish. you STAY as the Minister of the Education System and see it through. to your DREAMS.
GOOD LUCK, SIR.
First judging the effectiveness of new policies within a two year span (his appointment was in October 2021) may not reflect the long-term impact of his initiatives.
Moreover, addressing deeply rooted issues inherited from the bygone era of a miseducation system ( such as outdated teaching methods, lack of resources, cheating and incompetent teaching methods) demands comprehensive and sustained efforts.
In addition, Dr. Berhanu has been working on reforms known to the public particularly the students examining system which fostered cheating before he took office. We are seeing the effects of his current changed policies impact on examination of students, and is publicly visible. I call this the beginning reform of the education system.
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It is going to take several years, may be decades, to improve the education system that has broken down over decades.
This is an unfair portrayal of Dr Berhanu tenure. First of all, he has been on the job for about two years. Secondly, schools have been failing since at least the Revolution (Abiyot) and have become only worse since then. The previous regime, in power for 27 years had deliberately neglected the Ethiopian educational system, while it programmatically provided members of its own ethnic base with all the educational advantages the country could ill afford; i.e. study abroad. I believe that Dr. Berhanu is moved by good intentions and will do everything, given the opportunity, to reform Ethiopian educational system for the better. The question is whether Ethiopia’s PM is on board or is only interested only in providing unfair advantage to certain ethnic group following the example of the TPLF.