Ethiopia’s Education Reform – Challenges, Opportunities

Ethiopia’s mission to deliver quality education aligned with international standards like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is fraught with challenges.

From systemic inefficiencies to resource shortages, the nation faces significant obstacles in building a future-ready generation. However, amidst these hurdles, promising efforts are being implemented that may pave the way for transformative change.

Addis Ababa University Associate Professor of Education Belay Hagos (PhD), underscores the severity of the education crisis. He noted that researches documented by the World Bank reveal alarming statistics: by age 10, 90% of Ethiopian children cannot read a simple text, reflecting a profound “learning poverty”.

Belay and his team traced the root causes of this crisis to a chain of interconnected factors, including inadequate teacher preparation, low salaries, and insufficient resource allocation.

Despite the gravity of these challenges, there is momentum toward addressing them. The Ministry of Education, has launched strategic reforms based on studies from Young Lives, the World Bank, and its own educational roadmap.

According to the Ministry’s Adult and Non-formal Education Chief Executive Officer Yoseph Abera, these reforms aim to tackle issues from primary to tertiary levels while improving accountability through measures like verifying school data and addressing disparities.

One promising initiative involves leveraging civil service reforms to bolster accountability within the education system. For example, stricter oversight on schools’ data management is helping identify discrepancies and enforce corrective actions.

These measures, though gradual, are laying the foundation for a more transparent and efficient education sector, Yoseph said.

Efforts to promote equitable access are also making strides. Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, Senior Social Protection Advisor Debebe Barud, highlighted that recent studies show progress in areas such as digital access and female education.

Citing a study conducted by Young Lives Ethiopia last year, he indicated that girls and young women now have increased access to schooling, and upper secondary completion rates have improved significantly.

However, he said, challenges such as a decline in tertiary enrollment and reading comprehension among young adults are still there, making the need for sustained interventions critical.

Furthermore, Young Lives Ethiopia Principal Investigator, Prof. Tassew Woldehanna, highlightedthe impacts of COVID-19, conflict, and inflation on educational progress.

While secondary education completion rates have risen, tertiary enrollment dropped from 18% in 2016 to 14% in 2023, he mentioned.

Such findings highlight the importance of reforms targeting higher education, including quality enhancements through entrance requirement changes.

According to Belay,strengthening the commitment of the political leadership is indispensable in achieving lasting change. He advocates for prioritizing education at the national level, mobilizing resources through innovative mechanisms like education-specific taxes, and fostering public accountability to ensure leaders remain committed to advancing the sector.

Drawing parallels with Ethiopia’s successful corridor development projects, Belay emphasized that with dedicated leadership, similar transformations are possible in education.