An Assessment of the Ethiopian Primary Education Sector Development Program
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to assess the performance of ESDP at primary level and to identify the
major challenges and problems that have affected the achievement of the ESDP III at national level. The
study employed a descriptive survey method, and involves both primary and secondary sources of data.
Recent education statistical data of primary education were used to make the analysis on the progress
towards the assessment of ESDP III at primary level. Moreover, primary data through questionnaires and
interviews were collected from process owners and experts at MoE and REBs. Moreover development
partners were involved in the interview. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted using enrollment
ratios, parity index, percentage and mean. The finding of the study revealed that educational access and
coverage have shown remarkable improvements over the last five years, between 2004/05 and 2008/09.
However, as the net enrollment ratio shows, entry to grade one has been highly dominated by over-aged
children, particularly in rural areas. Improvements were also registered in ensuring equity in the provision of
primary education, but disparities between boys and girls and urban-rural disparities have been challenges to
the achievement of ESDP III at primary level. The capacity and management-related-problems such as lack
of technical support to the regions, lack of adequate training for the implementation of ESDP ,High tum-over
of implementers, regional, urban/rural and gender disparity, Inefficient utilization of resources, poor quality of
education, weak education planning and implementation/management capacity particularly at MoE,
inadequacy of basic school facilities, shortage of qualified and experienced teachers in the second cycle of
primary education in the rural areas, inefficiency of smooth student flow through the educational ladders of
the primary schooling as reflected by low survival and completion rates due to drop-out and repetition
problems, low quality of school infrastructure, due to a strong reliance on low-cost constructions, long home-school
distance, lack of school basic facilities and materials, lack of counseling and support for students and
the likes were identified as a factor that made schools environmental less child-friendly and discouraged
school attendance. The socio-economic and cultural problems: family low income, drought and food
shortage, child labor demand, parents' illiteracy, early marriage and the likes also affected the education of
children, particularly of girls and rural children. Moreover, less commitment of the political leadership to
education has also contributed to the non-achievement of UPE in general and ESDP Iff targets in particular.
Thus, if these present conditions and challenges persist, the coming ESDP IV has less chance to achieve the
goal of UPE by 2015. Emphasis should also be given to increase access and equity by addressing all the
inhibiting factors (social, economic and cultural). Moreover, all these could be put to the ground with strong
political and leadership commitments. In order to achieve the target set during the ESDP the political
commitment is vital. The management and the evaluation of the progress of ESDP should be
strengthening. The Annual review meeting and joint review mission should be strengthened. Above all the
String committee at MoE and REBs should be functional. The implementers should work their daily activities
as per ESDP implementation manual. Finally, the study recommended that for ESDP to be achieved those
challenges and problems need to be solved. Net intake rates to grade one should approximately reach 100%,
and the cohort ever entering grade 1 must be kept in the system to progress through the education ladder to
complete the final grade of primary education by avoiding dropout and repetition. Effective strategies
designed than the current trend for the emerging regions. Opening mobile schools and Para-boarding
schools for meeting the needs of pastoralist and semi-pastoralist students Strengthening the school feeding
program for food insecure areas and Providing special support programs that can promote enrollment of girls
and the retention in schools Construct more upper primary schools and classrooms in rural areas should be
given to the implementers
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Keywords
Education