Addis Abeba — Nearly 680,000 senior high school students across Ethiopia have been anxiously awaiting their Grade 12 exam results since taking the test in July 2024.
The long-awaited announcement came on 09 September, 2024, when Professor Berhanu Nega, the Minister of Education, announced that a mere 5.4% of students--equivalent to just 36,409--met the minimum passing score of 50%, qualifying them for university enrollment.
While the results nearly echoed last year's dismal performance, where nearly 97% of students failed to reach the passing mark, the latest figures exposed alarming disparities between regions.
According to the Minister of Education, 553 schools in the Oromia region had no students who achieved the passing grade. This figure is significantly higher than that of the Somali Regional State, which ranks second, with 158 schools where no students passed the exam.
In his briefing, Berhanu also disclosed that all regional states, except for the Amhara region, saw an increase in the number of students who scored above the average compared to the previous year.
The lower number of students who passed the exam from the Amhara region was attributed to the fact that only half of the eligible students sat for the exam.
Students, parents, and experts alike are sounding the alarm, emphasizing that the results starkly reflect the profound impact of ongoing conflict in the Amhara and Oromia regions.
In his interview with Addis Standard, Asebe Regassa (PhD), a professor at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, remarked that the recent Grade 12 exam results highlight the repercussions of the ongoing conflict in various regions of the country.
"In general, schools have not been functioning due to the conflict, leading to the displacement of students along with their parents or preventing them from attending entirely due to security concerns," the professor emphasized. "Therefore, the exam results are a clear indicator of the system's failure."
Fractured futures
A teacher from Bule Hora Preparatory School in West Guji Zone, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to security concerns, told Addis Standard that the region's education system is currently in a state of crisis.
His assessment is based on the fact that many high schools in the Oromia region, particularly those in the West Guji Zone, recorded the lowest passing rate in the most recent Grade 12 National Exam.
The teacher noted that West Guji has a total of 30 preparatory schools, yet at Bariso Dukale High School in Bule Hora City, only 17 out of 712 students from the natural and social sciences streams passed the exam.
Similarly, only 14 students passed from Bule Hora Preparatory School, bringing the combined total of successful candidates from both schools to a mere 31.
According to the teacher, the decline in educational standards can be attributed to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and government forces.
"Many students were unable to attend classes regularly due to security concerns, leading to incomplete coverage of the curriculum from grades 9 to 12," the teacher explained. "This is a significant factor in the high failure rate in the grade 12 exam."
While both teachers and students are experiencing psychological trauma due to the ongoing conflict in the region, reports indicate that students, in particular, have been subjected to violence by government forces during the day under suspicion of supporting insurgents and by armed groups such as the OLA at night for allegedly collaborating with government forces.
According to a teacher at Bule Hora Preparatory School, these experiences have left deep and lasting emotional scars on the students.
Many students were unable to attend classes regularly due to security concerns." A teacher from Bule Hora Preparatory School in West Guji Zone
The conflict has not only disrupted the learning process but also physically damaged schools.
For example, Kilenso Mekanisa High School in the Bule Hora district became a battleground after government forces established a military base there.
In response, the OLA set up its own base next to the school's fence and later within the school itself, following the retreat of government forces, making the school inaccessible to students.
The academic landscape in Western Oromia has been tenuous, particularly as evidenced by the challenging experiences faced by both teachers and students.
In interviews with Addis Standard, students shared that they were only able to attend school once or twice a week, significantly limiting their learning opportunities. Many students have lost hope in their academic futures due to years of conflict and the psychological toll it has taken.
A teacher from Agemsa Preparatory School in the Horo Guduru Wollega zone, who also spoke anonymously, disclosed that only three out of 210 students passed the Grade 12 National Exam this year, with no female students succeeding.
The teacher explained that the conflict has disproportionately affected female students, who often face heightened security risks and social barriers to education during wartime.
His remarks are supported by an in-depth article by Addis Standard that highlighted the conflict's disruptive impact on Western Oromia's education system.
According to the article, the once-thriving education sector in Horro Guduru Wollega, East Wollega, West Wollega, and Kellem Wollega zones now reflects a starkly different reality.
Six years of unrelenting conflict have shattered Western Oromia's legacy of intellectual prowess, leaving a pervasive sense of despair where once stood the pride of high-achieving students.
The article also shed light on the broader impact of the ongoing war in Western Oromia, which has held an entire generation of students hostage to conflict for over six years. The violence has not only devastated social and economic institutions but has also cast a long and ominous shadow over the future of education in the region.
The detrimental effects of regional instability and violence on educational opportunities, particularly within Western Oromia, have been extensively documented in various reports.
A 2023 assessment conducted by the Center for Development and Capacity Building (CDCB) in Oromia's conflict zones revealed a concerning landscape. The ongoing hostilities have resulted in the closure of 730 schools, displacing thousands of students from their education.
Furthermore, 117 teachers and education professionals have left their positions. The report further underscores the erosion of social norms within conflict areas, where brutality and lawlessness have taken hold due to the collapse of social institutions.
The teacher from Agemsa Preparatory School explained that irregular attendance and the ongoing security crisis had severely disrupted teaching, making it impossible to cover the required curriculum.
"Despite these challenges, however, the zone administration and district pressured schools to rush students into taking the exam," he disclosed.
The Darra district in the North Shoa zone of the Oromia region has emerged as another hotspot, witnessing escalating violent conflicts as government forces engage separately with the Fano militia and the OLA. These clashes have significantly disrupted the teaching and learning process.
Additionally, the district has experienced frequent confrontations between the two insurgent groups, placing the local population at risk of harassment, displacement, and even loss of life.
In July 2024, Addis Standard reported that approximately 400 grade 12 students, returning from Salale University to their homes in Darra district, were caught in the midst of conflict between the Fano militia and government forces.
The students were stranded at Salale University for more than two weeks following the completion of their school-leaving exams, unable to return to their homes due to the escalating insecurity in the district.
Asebe, the professor at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, emphasized the urgent need for intervention in the Oromia regional state.
He argued that the failure of 553 schools to pass any students indicates that these institutions are not functioning.
"This should have sparked a national outcry," he argued, highlighting the urgent need for improved educational conditions in conflict-affected regions.
Conflict cripples schools in Amhara
In recent years, students in several rural towns and districts of the Amhara region have faced significant declines in enrollment and interruptions to their education due to ongoing conflict.
A student who took the 12th-grade national exam at Fasilo High School, Bahir Dar City, Amhara region, and who chose to remain anonymous for security reasons, informed Addis Standard that the region's security issues, particularly in 2024, were the primary factor contributing to the decline in exam results.
"The ongoing conflict between government forces and Fano militants in Bahir Dar made it challenging for students to focus on their studies," he explained.
The student further noted that there was a significant security threat in urban areas like the city he resided in, with frequent explosions in various locations.
"There were also concerns about kidnappings and robberies," the student further explained.
He also mentioned that due to the security risks, many schools experienced frequent closures, preventing students from covering the necessary curriculum.
The student added that those who attended Fasilo High School and failed the 12th-grade national exam attributed their poor performance to the psychological impact of the security crisis.
"The threat in our city disrupted our ability to study calmly. Many students, including myself, believed we might not even sit for the exam, so we didn't prepare adequately," he said, highlighting the profound psychological toll the conflict has taken on the students.
Bisrat Melese, a father of two students in grades 10 and 11 residing in the Meketa district of the South Gondar Zone, told Addis Standard that his two children have been out of school since last year and, as of yet, have never enrolled.
He expressed his concern, stating, "They may not be able to continue their education this year."
Bisrat also disclosed that the two high schools in the Meketa district--Aja Fasiledes High School and Ajisa High School--as well as Melza High School in the Beminat district, were not operational last year and remain closed in the current academic season.
"As a result, Grade 12 students have been unable to take the Grade 12 National Exam last year," he stated, expressing fear that the continued closure of schools might jeopardize the future academic progress of his children.
My children may not be able to continue their education this year." Bisrat Melese, a father of two students who reside in the Meketa district of the South Gondar Zone
Reports from the region indicate that more than 3,000 schools remained closed during the last academic year, largely due to the conflict between the federal government and the non-state militia group, Fano.
In November 2023, Addis Standard published an article explaining why, out of the approximately six million eligible children, 3.9 million primary and secondary students were unable to continue their education last year.
The article highlighted the education crisis faced by students in the Amhara region through the harrowing experience of Desalegn Mekuria, who had been hoping to sit for the Grade 12 exam last year and pursue higher education.
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Driven by a burning determination to excel in this year's pivotal national exams, Desalegn, who resides in the remote reaches of East Gojjam Zone, harbored ambitious aspirations of becoming his village's first-ever doctor.
With his school closed for months due to nearby hostilities last year, Desalegn was forced to return to his family's impoverished farm.
Cut off from his studies and devoid of access to preparatory materials to prepare for the exam, Desalegn's spirit was crushed.
"As a Grade 12 student facing these vital exams, I find myself without any means to continue my education independently," Desalegn told Addis Standard last year. "As hope has escaped me, I must now contemplate seeking alternative employment."
The learning and teaching environment in the Amhara region has not improved in the current academic year, undermining the aspirations of students who planned to sit for the upcoming Grade 12 exam.
Citing students and parents as sources, Addis Standard recently reported a significant decline in enrollment and disruptions to education in the Amhara region.
One parent whose child used to attend a primary school in Quara district, West Gojjam Zone, revealed that his child has been unable to attend school this academic year.
"Almost all schools in our area have been closed due to security concerns," he highlighted, adding that many schools in the area have been turned into military camps.
The Amhara Education Bureau has acknowledged a decline in student enrollment, indicating that despite setting a target of enrolling seven million students in the current academic season, actual enrollment figures are significantly lower.
So far, only about two million students have been registered.
Getachew Beyazne, head of public relations at the Amhara Education Bureau, attributed this shortfall primarily to "the ongoing security situation in the region," as well as other factors such as "late enrollment and politicization of education."
Asebe, the education expert, emphasized that teachers and students face security challenges at both the practical and psychological levels, hindering their ability to prepare for education. "This is the primary cause of students' exam failures."
Asebe argued that the disruption of education due to the ongoing hostilities in different parts of the country, particularly in conflict-affected regions like Oromia and Amhara, is likely to create a long-term generation gap.
"The ongoing conflicts will have significant political and economic consequences, leading to an imbalance between regional states in the future," stated the education expert. "The recent Grade 12 exam results serve as a stark reminder of the importance of investing in education, even in times of crisis."
