"We do not provide education for the sake of
education but for a purpose"
By Selamawit
Seyoum
WIC Sep 06, 2000
The restructuring to the Ethiopian educational system
following the adoption of the new Education policy in 1994 was imperative as
the old one fell lame to check unemployment of high school completes, and
address the manpower needs of the country. The new structure enables
educational institutions to produce either employable citizens or those ready
to pursue higher education, according to Education Minister Genet Zewde who had
an excessive interview with the Herald. The first part of the interview which dealing
which restructuring, quality of education and other related topics was
published in last week's issue, The second and last part of the interview
follows:
Herald: Some people including those in the opposition
political parties are against the policy, which stipulates that the government
will cease the financial support for students above secondary general
education. What is your response?
Let me go back to why we say that pupil beyond general
secondary education has to finance their education. We said that primary
education is very, very important for the overall activities and economic
development of the country. But when we see education beyond general education
it is more important for the individual than for the society as a whole. It is
the individual who gains more by having more years of education. Literate
society is important for development of a country. If you give primary
education you are developing the society as a whole. If you neglect that and bring
few individuals to primary, secondary and tertiary education, I am not saying that
they will not have a role in the society, but few individuals will not have as much
impact as the whole literate society. So should we invest on a few individuals who
are lucky or whatsoever till university level and neglect the rest? Had we had the money we would have served
both. But we have only one cake and who should take the larger part and at
whose expense and to whose benefit? We have limited amount of money and we will
devote the larger part of the budget of education to the Primary level so that
the whole society get at least eight - year of primary education. We give free
education up to grade ten. After that why should not the individual who has the
opportunity to pursue his/her education at least pay part of the cost of their
education. That is again the rational behind it. Prior to the introduction of
the new system people in the rural area were required to contribute to the cost
of school contribute to the cost of school construction and other expenses if
they wanted primary education. Where as if a few individuals from that area got
the opportunity to go to secondary school and to university, we provide them
not only with free tuition but also with all accommodations. So where is the
equity, when we spend so much money where the benefit of the individual is more
and of the society less? If we want to
make education at all level accessible to our people, there should be a shared
effort by the community, the individual and the government. Education is
expensive especially vocational education and higher education is very
expensive. The amount of money spent on a higher education student can teach
many students from grade one to eight. If an individual has to share the cost,
that individual should be the one who benefit most from the education. Even
here we are not saying that the parent should pay but we are saying that we
will set up a scheme whereby after graduation that individual will pay.
Herald: There are complaints on the self - contained
teaching system that is being implemented in the basic primary education level
(one to four grades) for it is said to have adverse impact on the teaching -
learning process. Why is the system needed? What do you say about the
complaint?
Self - contained is a new system in our country but it is a
very effective system as a system. It is economical that a few teachers can
address many students. Only 51 per cent of our school age children are in
school to- day. We have a long way to go. In the grades one to four, our
curriculum requires only basic literacy, basic numeric and understanding of the
environment and not specialized subjects.
Therefore, for this level of education we need only one teacher to
handle a class instead of hiring a teacher for each subject, which is very
economical for Ethiopia where we still have about six million school age
children out of school. We have to provide access and to do this we have to be
economical.
While we prefer it from economic point of view the developed
countries look at self -contained from pedagogical point of view. Wilderness at
young age are coming to school for the first time, it is better to be handled
by a single teacher so that the teacher can understand and support them better.
So even pedagogically self -contained is preferred. In principle, it is
preferred to have self - contained classes ever for grades from one to six or
even one to eight.
When we come to Ethiopia, the teachers complain, for
example, for having over crowd classes in the urban areas. In the rural area,
our statistic does not show that however, teachers teaching in both rural and
urban areas complain about it. In urban areas where there is large number of
students, I can see they could face a problem.
What we should have done was train teachers on how to handle
large classes with self - contained system neither have we discussed which the
teachers the advantage of this new system. Any new system is not accepted at
the beginning. Because especially in this case it requires the teachers hard
work and preparation more than they had been used to the past. It is quite a
new experience. It was wrong that we have not discussed with the teachers
themselves, let alone the teachers even some education bureau experts have not
got the idea some are misinformed, others are afraid about it because it is a
new thing. In the middle of this
confusion, states started applying it. That is where the problem lies, we
should have gone through explanation, and we should have shown the advantages
to states' education bureaus and to teachers more so we should have informed
the teachers. Or else self -contained is very important for us.
Our next programme is to look into the problems we faced in
implementing self -contained system. We are going to study that and solve the
problem. Wd will continue to do self - contained system for the next five
years.
Herald: Teacher's performance assessment and career
structure guideline is said to have loopholes. Some say that students may not
be manure enough to assess their teachers performances while parents may not be
well informed to evaluated the teachers this make the judgments of both the
students and parents unfair towards the teachers. What would you say on this
point?
Students know at least some thing about the behavior of
their teachers that we cannot simply deny they are not mature. Students can
tell whether their teachers come to class in time and whether they teach
appropriately or leave the students on their own more often. Students know
whether teachers ill - treat or encourage them. By the way, good and
responsible teachers, who have confidence and want to improve their performance
and want to improve their performance, like the feedback from the students and
believe that in helps them to improve. However, teachers who do not have
respect for their students and are not concerned about their responsibilities
don not want to improve such teachers do not want students to evaluate them. As
far as I am conceded the best evaluators are students for they are in constant
contact with their teachers and can better tell about the behavior of the teachers
than anyone else The director or other teachers do not encounter the teacher as
often as his/ her students do. Neither do the supervisor who comes to a classroom
once in the blue moon. We are not saying that there are no careless and lay
students who judge teachers unfairly because of their (the students) own problem.
We take the average for not every student is like that.
As to the parents, it may seem difficult to the parents in
urban places to know the teachers. But there dare different ways through which
they can get information on teachers, from parents committee and other parents
who live at the places of the teachers of from their won children. The problem
is mainly in urban areas and we can set a special kind of mechanism and refine
the instrument of gathering information for the parents. Whereas in rural areas
as teachers live together in a smaller community is would be desire for parents
to identify who is who including his/ her personal integrity and social
relationship.
Herald: Some students who score good results in ESLCE
complain for that they were made study fields against their choice. For
instance, a student who worked hard all her/ his high school year aspiring to
study engineering and who passed ESLCE with great distinction may be placed in
a social science institution. What is the problem of assigning students in
higher institution of their interests?
If we could afford it and if we have had many places in
higher institutions we would have considered the interest of every
student. The problem is that we do not
have enough spaces in higher institutions of leaning. Even 2.00 GPA is a
passing ESLCE result. Nevertheless, we take those far better ones as we don not
have spaces. If everyone who obtain 4.00 grade point wants to go to the medical
school where we do not have enough space it would be difficult. What we do is that
at least for the last two years we assign students either to social sciences or
natural sciences according to their academic background. Those who had been
studying natural science for instance would go to university and colleges that
offer natural science
courses. And after their first year education in the
universities they are placed depending not on their SLCE Grades but on their
freshman results. The problem is scarcity of space to address the interest of
the students. We have to increase the enrollment capacity of our universities
and colleges. Following the commencement of the preparatory classes hopefully
universities and colleges will give their own placement test and will take
students according to their interests beginning the year 1996 EC.
Herald: How do you see the participation of the private
sector in the national development of education?
We are very much impressed that there are a number of
colleges coming up training students and providing diplomas and certificates.
Some of them have received accreditation from us while others are in the
process of being accredited while there
are others who are not recognized yet. However, we are
encouraged by their participation. According to the 1992 EC, statistics about
8,000 of the students in higher education have been learning in private
institutions specially in four of private institutions who received
accreditation namely Unity college in Addis Ababa, Adventist College in Awassa,
Alpha and Munchin for Munchin.
Herald: some of the investors who want to establish
educational institutions complain that they are denied of spaces they needed to
embark on the venture. How does the MOE assist them to obtain spaces timely?
We have heard about this problem of getting land in Addis
Ababa as well as in other States. What we are planning to do is to work with
them and with the pertinent bodies in the Addis Ababa City Administration and
in other states to alleviate the problem.
Herald: The Addis Ababa University has requested for the
adoption of the university's charter. How are you handling the request?
AAU has presented the case to the board of the University.
The board has required them to make some amendments. The board is correctly
discussing the issue with the university.
Herald: How do you evaluate the activities of the
Ethiopian Teachers Association: Are they independent or influenced somehow?
The Ethiopian Teachers Association is a civic organization.
I do not think any of its objectives and plans indicate that it is affiliated
with any political party. In fact on professional and technical issues. They
work closely with MOE because teachers' association is a professional
association. They are concerned about the quality of education, qualification
of teachers and so on, because they are citizens and even more they are
teachers themselves. Unlike trade unions they are not interested about only the
privileges and benefits of teachers. Their interest is beyond that. They are concerned about the profession. The
come to us, discuss their point of concern with us, and try to solve problems.
But that does not mean they are politically and ideologically related to the
government. Because of the nature of the profession they had to work closely
with the MOE. This does not mean again that there are not individual members of
any of the political parties. That is their personal choice and constitutional
right. However, this does not imply that the association is dominated or
influenced by a certain party. They are independent.
Herald: You are a member of Interim board of the UNESCO
International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa Officially launched on
May 5, 1999 which of its listed objectives have been initiated and accomplished
so far?
With regard to the objectives of the institute, which are
strengthening educational institutions that are responsible for teachers'
education and curriculum development, strengthening the use of e - technology
for youth in education, linking educational policy development and planning in
economic development and planning in economic development, and strengthening
educational institutions responsibility for educational policy planning and
management the institute has been working closely with MOE, so far, the
institute has been active in collaborating with the Ethiopian Educational Media
Agency ( EMA) . EMA is working to upgrade the skill of 21,400 teachers, who are
teaching in primary schools. through distance education diploma
programme. In this effort, the UNESCO institute is assisting
EMA.
It has granted distance education scholarship for 26
teachers drawn from teachers training colleges and education bureaus in the
various states so that they will be trained in managing and handling distance
education for postgraduate diploma programme.
When the teachers complete their distance education, they will work with
EMA in providing distance education for unqualified teachers. Indra Ghandi
National offers the distance Education postgraduate diploma programme
University, India. The 26 instructors started the two - year
distance training some two months ago. As they are taking the training while
they still do their regular job at their workplaces it is very advantageous for
us. Another 15 teachers are going to
be recruited form Liberia.
The Other Project currently under way is the preparation of
electronic library series in mathematics, sciences and languages. This will be
implemented as supplementary material in primary schools of many African
countries in clouding Ethiopia. The institute is also in the process of
training other educationalist. For this, it is planning to build very close
contact with universities out side of Africa where African educationalist can
get training.
Regarding its headquarters it has received the land from the
Addis Ababa City Administration. As
soon as the plan of the building is completed, the construction will
start. A training center where trainees
from all over African countries can be trained will also be constructed.
Herald: I heard on the grape vine that government
sponsored Ethiopian students in Indian Universities had complained about their
meager stipend and appealed for a raise. How did you handle their demand?
When it comes to money nobody is satisfied. People complain
about their income and salary. Of course ever since we stared sending people to
India, we pay per diem, tuition, accommodation, books, and research papers, but
there is always complaints that the subsistence allowance is small. We know that the amount is not that large but
the question is can we afford it? So
since we cannot provide a large amount of subsistence allowance we cannot say
that we will increase it this year or next year.
We have to see whether it is further considerable or not, It
is not the first time. Two or three
years ago they had complained, we sent out our mission to see if their complaint
was correct and then we had adjusted.
What we say is that we know that
it is not a big amount.
It is a government money not given by other organizations like
UNDP. When some organizations grant
scholarship, they give a large subsistence.
They can afford but we cannot.
One has to really notice that this is the only time in the
history of Ethiopian education where the government sent a large contingent of
students, about 500 abroad for higher education. And is also the first time that the government has such
a programme. People
might have gone on scholarship here and there but foreign agencies or
universities sponsor them. This one is
from a budget that the government set aside for a programme of human resources
development. It is a
five-year programme.
It may continue depending on the budget.
The only reason we sent the students to Indian Universities
is that because they are affordable for us.
We also wanted to capacitate ourselves where we opened higher education
institutions. As these institutions
have to be staffed by Ethiopians, the
Would-be staff members had to be trained abroad. That is why we sent them to India. It is not only staff for higher education
institutions that we sent to India but also other people working in the civil
services in the various states.
Our plan was to send 500 within five years. The programme was launched three years
ago. Most of them are graduates
studying for their MA and Ph.D.
Herald: Do you
consider the standard of the Indian universities where you send students?
Yes, we are very serious on this mater. There are thousands of universities in India
some of which are not recognized by the government. First, we choose universities recognized by the government. Secondly, we select the best ones in a given
field of study. For instance, we sent
our Agriculture students to Keral Agriculture University.
People should not be biased on this point, as there are bad
universities in India there are good universities as it is the same in other
countries. In fact we have opened educational
attaches' offices in Ethiopia embassies, which had not existed before. The
officials are responsible for among others, choosing universities for training
Ethiopians.
Herald: The
medical students and interns at the Addis Ababa University boycotted classes
for six days in August 2000 opposing the postponement of their graduation day,
why was the need for extension by six months of their academic year?
The duration of the academic year of the AAU Medical Faculty
is an extended one compared to the duration of other medical institutions in
Gonder and Jimma. The students'
complaint basically arose from the fact that they have more training years than
other medical schools. Secondly, they
did not want to wait until next June for a graduation ceremony while they could
graduate in January 2001. The faculty demanded
the students to stay until June to have the graduation so that the ceremony
will be held at the same time with that of graduates from other faculties. Regarding
the first argument, the MOE itself believes that the academic duration should
be similar to that of other medical schools in the country that is six years, which
is enough. So far we did not observe
any differences in terms of quality or performance among the AAU medical
faculty and the other medical schools.
In fact the AAU has recognized this and is reviewing the
curriculum. They will adjust it soon
hopefully.
Regarding their second questions, a graduation ceremony is
simply formality. As far as the
Ministry of Health and other employers are concerned, these students are graduates. I do not see what the problem is in having
the ceremony some months later. If we
take examples of other countries they may finish their courses in January and
have the ceremony some other time if the graduation ceremony is usually held one
in a year. After they finish courses
they can get employed and can return to attend the ceremony if they want to.
I have asked the university and they said that preparing a
graduation ceremony is quite expensive.
The students are mature and ceremony is not a big deal. If it were possible, it would be better but
if the AAU couldn't make it they have to accept.
The issue is too minor to stir them disrupt class and
work. After all, they are trained to be
and act responsible. They should have
solved it with negotiation as they did it finally.