Ethiopia's Education Crisis, Birth of Lost Generation

Addis Abeba — The quote by American educational reformer John Dewey, "If education does not teach you to resist injustice, it has failed," serves not merely as a philosophical reflection but as a moral indictment of the current state of Ethiopia's education sector. As the author personally witnessed as a university student and later as faculty at Addis Ababa University and a researcher at the Institute of Education Research, since 1990, Ethiopia has witnessed a remarkable expansion in educational access, guided by the 1994 Education and Training Policy, which enshrined education as both a constitutional right and a national development priority.

Enrollment in primary and secondary education grew dramatically, with tertiary education seeing explosive growth. From 1991 to 2018, Ethiopia experienced one of the most ambitious educational expansions in Africa. Under the government led by the coalition of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the country built over 40 public universities, tripled the number of elementary schools, and increased enrollment across all levels. However, this quantitative expansion, as would be expected, has come with a lack of focus on improving quality, which was later recognized in studies published and discussed in an educational symposium organized by the Ethiopian Education Research Institute that this author participated in.

Ethiopia's education surge

Despite the pressure on the education system from rapid population growth and a poor economic base after 17 years of civil war, the statistical indicators of the 1991-2018 era are nothing less than a miracle for a country that had stagnant education. A national policy shift after 1991 promoted education as a key driver of social change and economic growth, leading to increased resources for the sector and hence improved performance in the education sector. Net school enrollment rose from 29% in 1990 to 86% in 2015 to universal education by 2018. Secondary school enrollment grew from 16% in 1999 to 26% in 2015, though regional disparities persisted. Tertiary education enrollment exploded from under 1% in 1991 to 10-11% by 2018. Graduation rates in public universities were around 70-80% in 2015.

Between 2000 and 2015, Ethiopia significantly increased its education budget, with government expenditure rising from under 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the early 2000s to 4.7% by 2016/17, meeting global benchmarks. However, this upward trend began to stagnate and decline recently, with spending dropping to 3.74% of GDP in 2022. International donors have played a crucial role in supplementing Ethiopia's education financing. Since 2004, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has provided over $745 million in grants, including $132 million (2024-2028) for system transformation and girls' education.

Furthermore, Ethiopia is among the beneficiaries of the recently launched Advancing Innovative Methods to Promote Learning (AIM4Learning) Program, a $1.54 billion regional initiative financed by the International Development Association (IDA) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Under this framework, the Ethiopia Education Transformation Operation for Learning (ETOL) serves as a comprehensive initiative designed to expand equitable access and enhance learning outcomes in pre-primary and primary education. Backed by a total investment exceeding $226 million, the program aspires to strengthen the foundation for lifelong learning and improved educational achievement. However, recent data from Ethiopia's education sector suggest that the country has yet to fully benefit from such investments.

From progress to breakdown

After the remarkable achievements of 27 years (1991-2018/19) that met the Millennium Development Goals and the UN education targets, the education sector has entered a period of alarming decline since 2019. Under the Prosperity Party (PP), the primary completion rate was standing way lower than the target and decreasing for both genders since 2018/19. University enrollment has stagnated, and graduation rates have dropped. In 2022, only 3.3% of students qualified for university admission; in 2025, that number rose slightly to 8.4%, but over 91% of students still failed. Over 1,200 high schools did not have a single student pass the national exam. This is not a statistical anomaly; it is a systemic collapse. For instance, only 8.3% of the more than 35,000 students who sat for the national exam in the Tigray region scored a passing mark of more than 50% in 2025.

The future seems even bleaker. The events unfolding in Ethiopia's education sector transcend simple neglect; they represent a slow, painful self-destruction, echoing the common proverb, "If you want to destroy a nation, destroy its education system." With the open admission of the Prime Minister proclaiming not to build any more universities, the current minister of education threatening to close down some of the meager 49 public universities, and other budgetary challenges, there is overall concern that the education sector is going to decline even further, erasing the achievements of the past. The alarmingly high failure rate among students in the national exam, coupled with diminishing access to higher education, has prompted some observers to speculate that the deterioration of the education system is no accident. They suggest that the government may be deliberately fostering a pool of disenfranchised youth--individuals who, lacking opportunity or recourse, become ideal recruits for Ethiopia's current and future military conflicts.

According to UNICEF, at least 13 million children (pre-primary, primary, and junior secondary), with nearly half being girls, are currently out of school. An estimated 3.5 million additional children (primary and secondary), with almost half girls, are at risk of dropping out of school. Reports also indicate that the proportion of primary school-age children who are out of school exhibits significant disparities, currently ranging from 23% to over 35% as of 2023. Since 2022, the country's secondary and tertiary education sectors have also encountered major challenges, most notably, conflicts erupting in different corners of the country.

In the Tigray region, the impact of the war has been particularly severe: primary school enrollment has dropped dramatically from 85.5% in 2020 to just 20.8% in 2024, and currently, only about 40% of eligible children are enrolled--leaving roughly 60% out of school. This crisis stems from the destruction of schools, the prolonged displacement of students and teachers, and the ongoing humanitarian emergency resulting from the occupation of large areas of Western and Southern Tigray by Amhara and Eritrean forces.

The ongoing conflict between the federal government and the Fano militia has had a devastating impact on Amhara's education sector. Last month, the Amhara Regional Education Bureau reported that only 21% of the expected high school students had registered for the current academic year. Although the region had set a target of 7.4 million student enrollments, officials confirmed that by September 12, fewer than three million students had registered. According to reports, approximately 4.4 million children in Amhara were out of school during the 2024/2025 academic year--the highest figure in the country. Over the past two years, armed conflict and insecurity have disrupted education for millions, preventing students from returning to classrooms and leaving many areas with severely interrupted teaching and learning.

Citing accounts from residents and students in the West Shewa, North Shewa, and West Wollega zones of the Oromia region, Addis Standard reported last month that students are being forcibly removed from classrooms as a direct consequence of school closures or destruction caused by the region's seven-year-long conflict. Residents highlighted that educators, concerned for their personal safety, have abandoned rural schools and relocated to urban centers. Consequently, students with the necessary financial means have followed them to continue their schooling. Conversely, those unable to afford relocation have reportedly dropped out of the system, turning to agricultural work or joining nearby monasteries to pursue religious studies.

A separate investigation by Addis Standard also reveals that years of relentless 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. According to the report, the sustained violence and instability have inflicted widespread devastation upon the civilian population, severely debilitating social and economic institutions and leaving the region's once-thriving education sector in ruins.

The protracted and multifront conflicts across Ethiopia have precipitated an education crisis of staggering proportions ....."

The protracted and multifront conflicts across Ethiopia have precipitated an education crisis of staggering proportions, with millions of children deprived of their fundamental right to learn. In Tigray, enrollment has plummeted to a fraction of pre-war levels amid occupation and displacement; in Amhara, insecurity has kept nearly two-thirds of students out of school; and in Oromia, years of violence have dismantled educational infrastructure and driven both teachers and pupils from classrooms. What emerges is a generation at risk, not only of lost lessons but also of lost futures, as conflict continues to erase the foundations of knowledge, opportunity, and social progress across the country.

Call to save Ethiopia's schools

Education is not a luxury; it is a fundamental right, a vital tool for unlocking all other human rights--be they social, economic, or cultural rights, or political and civil rights. justice, and the indispensable foundation for any sustainable peace. To address the current challenges, the leadership must first cease the politicization of education and refrain from demonizing students and teachers. Secondly, the government should invest significantly in rebuilding the education sector, encompassing everything from primary schools to universities. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to restore academic freedom and ensure the protection of students from violence and discrimination. In addition, the practice of utilizing education as a recruitment filter for military conflicts must be discontinued. Finally, the current administration should honor the legacy of progress made under previous governments instead of seeking to dismantle or erase it.

I call upon UNESCO, international donors, and development partners to take immediate and decisive action. This action should primarily involve investigating and monitoring the dismantling of Ethiopia's education infrastructure, an erosion stemming from acts of war and poor policies that are culminating in mass student failure. Furthermore, I recommend that aid and support be conditioned upon measurable commitments to educational access, quality, and equity. Finally, it is crucial to support civil society and academic institutions that are actively resisting and advocating against the erosion of educational freedoms.

If education does not teach us to resist injustice, it has failed. But when leaders deliberately undermine education to entrench injustice, they betray not only its purpose but also fail the nation itself. The time has come to stand against this assault on Ethiopia's future. AS

Editor's Note: Mulugeta Gebregziabher (PhD) is a Peace Laureate of the American Public Health Association and a tenured professor at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, USA. During his tenure as a lecturer at Addis Ababa University, he also published more than eight studies on the Ethiopian education sector. Views are his own. Mulugeta can be reached at [email protected]

Read the original article on Addis Standard.

Ethiopia's Education Crisis, Birth of Lost Generation

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