Education Ministry’s Digital Exam Scheme Triggers Parliamentary Uproar | The Reporter Ethiopia

The Education Ministry has come under intense parliamentary scrutiny over the effectiveness and readiness of its ambitious plan to conduct the upcoming university entrance exam entirely online, set to take place within the next few months.

Earlier this year, the Minister of Education announced a landmark shift from paper-based exams to an entirely online modality for entrance exams that 700,000 students nationwide are expected to sit for.

However, the Ministry’s decision has invited strong backlash from members of Parliament over the practicability of the plan. Lawmakers cite infrastructure challenges, including unreliable electric power, limited computer access, and poor internet connectivity, which could negatively affect students’ results.

Their misgivings were on full display this week when the Human Resource Development, Labor and Technology Affairs Standing Committee convened to evaluate the Education Ministry’s nine-month performance.

During the hearing, the Committee chairman and its members openly challenged the Ministry over its plans for the upcoming university entrance exam.

“Despite this being a long-overdue plan, our question is whether all the necessary preparations have been made,” said Chair Negeri Lencho (PhD).

Lawmakers pointed out that capacity varies widely across schools in Ethiopia; some woredas routinely go without power for weeks at a time, while frequent network disruptions remain an outstanding issue.

“Recent information shows that, following the Ministry’s decision to conduct the exams entirely online, some schools have started wandering here and there to find computers from zonal and woreda administrations, and some are requesting help,” said Negeri.

He further grilled Ministry officials over the level of preparation for the digital examinations.

“Have we conducted an assessment of the capacity of lower-level administrations, beyond the bigger cities that can afford these facilities? What about a backup mechanism if the system fails due to unpredictable hiccups?” asked Negeri.

Data underscores these concerns. According to a 2025 World Bank report, nearly 71 million Ethiopians primarily in rural and peri-urban areas still lack reliable access to electricity, with national access rates below 50 percent. Internet access remains similarly limited: out of a population exceeding 130 million, only 29.5 million people were online at the end of 2025, representing a penetration rate of just 21.7 percent.

Low connectivity is compounded by limited digital literacy. Estimates suggest that only about 20 percent of the population is familiar with digital tools, further raising questions about the readiness of students and institutions for a fully online exam system.

In response to concerns about digital literacy, Ministry officials stated that there would be adequate training for students and examiners on the system to prepare them for the tests.

They also disclosed plans to supply backup generators to exam-hosting schools to ensure connectivity.

When we said we will conduct 100 percent online exams; our preparedness includes 122,000 laptops that are ready for this purpose,” said Minister of Education, Berhanu Nega (Prof.).

He outlined plans for training and mock exams prior to the finals.

“We believe it will not have a big influence. Whenever new things happen, there is frustration and discomfort, but we will not allow this to hinder us from moving forward,” said Berhanu.

The Minister told MPs that a task force composed of representatives from telecom operators, Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), and the Information Network Security Administration (INSA), as well as regional education bureaus, is conducting assessments of local and zonal administrations.

However, his assurances were rebuffed by the Committee, which expressed further doubt about  capacity and readiness.

“When we ask about the Ministry’s preparedness to conduct online examinations, we are not resisting change,” said Negeri. “We know our public, we have held public discussions in our constituencies and know their status. We appreciate change, but citizens should not become victims.”

The Chairperson also noted that the number of students passing university entrance exams remains extremely low.

“Are we really claiming we are seeing success amid all these policy and legal changes? And why is it not bringing change in both the reach and the quality of education?” he asked.