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Amhara region accounts for 98 percent of closures

Nearly 7,000 schools across Ethiopia are no longer operational, with conflict, flooding, displacement, and epidemics leaving a devastating impact on the country’s education sector, officials from the Ministry of Education revealed.

Of the 6,954 inoperable schools nationwide, a staggering 98 percent are located in the conflict-stricken Amhara region. This alarming report was made while Education officials presented their quarterly performance report to the parliamentary committee for Human Resources and Technology Affairs this week.

Officials indicated that only 21.7 million students have enrolled in schools across the pre-primary, primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary levels since the academic year began in September.

The figure is only two-thirds of the target set out by the Ministry, which estimates that more than 10.8 million are out of school.

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Ayelech Eshete, a state minister of Education, highlighted the dire situation in Amhara, emphasizing that education and politics should remain separate. She urged all stakeholders to collaborate in addressing the barriers plaguing the school system.

The Ministry’s quarterly performance report also highlighted issues in teacher training and qualification.

Of the 43,800 secondary education teachers and 7,200 school leaders who underwent summer training and assessment, 22 percent failed the English language proficiency test. Officials acknowledged the urgent need for further support to enhance teachers’ language skills.

Additionally, the demand for the teaching profession has significantly declined. To counter this, the Ministry has launched reforms aimed at attracting top students to the field.

Minister of Education Berhanu Nega (Prof.) addressed the committee’s concerns, unveiling plans to establish a Teachers’ Bank to alleviate educators’ financial challenges and restore dignity to the profession.

According to the Minister, this initiative is being supported by Deloitte Consulting, and aims to create a teacher-owned financial institution that will provide housing loans and other benefits, fostering a sense of inclusion in the Ethiopian financial system.

“Improving the quality of education starts with elevating the teaching profession to a position of respect and financial stability,” said Berhanu.

He expressed concerns over the deteriorating quality of education in public schools, which cater primarily to low-income families. He highlighted the growing inequality in education, noting that middle- and upper-income families have long abandoned public schools, leaving them as the only option for the poor.

“This systemic inequality poses a generational threat to our society,” he warned, urging swift action to bridge the gap between public and private education and restore equity in the system.

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#Conflict #Disasters #Epidemics #Leave #Schools #Shuttered #Million #Students #Unregistered

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