Report: Ethiopian Progress on UN Global Initiatives in Education

Garrett Vance Glapion

 Education is the great driver of social, economic and political progress. As people learn

to read and critical reasoning, their prospects for health and prosperity expand exponentially. The

advances in education have not benefited everyone equally and primary school enrolment rates

tell only part of the story. Millions of children who start primary school are unable to finish, and

more do not make it to high school. It is paramount that we advocate for a broader and more

ambitious vision for education. Broaden outreach and engagement on global citizenship

education with a focus on learning and teaching for sustainable development. Advocate for

closing the financing gap in education and for greater funds allocation to reach the populations

most in need, especially those in emergency situations.

figure 1 percentage of primary school-age children out of school, 1999-2008;

https://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/education-an-ethiopian-success-story; This image illustrates the rate

of which children attend primary schools in Ethiopia.

 The current formal education structure in Ethiopia has been in place since 1994.

Education in Ethiopia is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 to 16, but with poor

facilities and underprivileged backgrounds, many children do not get a high quality, full-time

education. In Ethiopia, 95 percent of primary school teachers receives training, which is higher

than the world median of 92 percent. While the quality of teaching is high, the ratio of teacher to

a child is 1:64 as shown in figure 2, so children are not able to receive the attention that they

need in order to reach their full potential.

Figure 2 Schools in Ethiopia; https://bjornandannette.wordpress.com/ethiopia/schools-in-

ethiopia; This image shows the highly unproportionate teacher to student ratio.

Millions of children go through school and come out without basic literacy and

numeracy. Education is ultimately judged by what people learn and not by their functionality in

society. Many students around the world are banking their without enough teachers, facilities,

books, and other basics needed to get a quality education. This is grave disservice not only to the

students themselves but to the parents who sacrifice to support them and the countries whose

futures depend on them.

The world faces global challenges, which require global solutions. It is not enough for the

education system to produce individuals who can read, write and count. Education must be

transformative and bring shared values to life. It must cultivate an active care for the world and
for those with whom we share it. Education must also be relevant in answering the big questions

of the day. Political regulation or financial instruments alone cannot achieve sustainable

development. Education must be at the forefront of helping people forge a more just, peaceful,

tolerant, and inclusive societies. It gives people the understanding, skills, and values they need to

cooperate in resolving global challenges of the 21st Century. As stated by Gordon Brown, UN

Special Envoy for Global Education, that Without universal education, winning the war against

illiteracy and ignorance, we cannot also win the war against disease, squalor and unemployment.

Without universal and high standard education, we can only go so far but not far enough in

breaking the cycle of poverty.

 Reference

Ethiopia. (n.d.). Retrieved July 28, 2017, from https://www.epdc.org/country/ethiopia

Education systems in Ethiopia. (n.d.). Retrieved July 28, 2017, from

https://borgenproject.org/education-system-in-ethiopia/

Education in Ethiopia . (n.d.). Retrieved July 28, 2017, from

https://www.classbase.com/Countries/Ethiopia/Education-System

Schools in Ethiopia. (n.d.). Retrieved July 28, 2017, from

https://bjornandannette.wordpress.com/ethiopia/schools-in-ethiopia

Education an Ethiopian Success Story. (n.d.). Retrieved July 28, 2017, from
https://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/education-an-ethiopian-success-story