The tool that is employed to sharpen the generation in a direction to be utilitarian for the nation on top of benefitting themselves is education among others. This essential sharpener of human mind thus has to be designed precisely. To come up with this, the Ethiopian government has taken measures to ameliorate the education system recently. In this measure the higher education sector has been given a prevalent focus. Therefore, government has established the Ministry of Science and Higher education that is accountable for managing chores of science and technology, higher education and Technical and Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) which were previously under different institutions.
The newly established ministry has prepared its working plan and the plan along with its performance was evaluated on 24 December, 2018 by human resource and technology standing committee at the main hall of the House of Peoples’ Representatives. Chairperson of the standing committee, Emuye Bitewurged and officials of the ministry to present their 100 days’ performance with regard to the plan. Dr. Hirut Woldemariam, Minister of Science and Higher Education (MOSHE), has begun the report by briefing about the ministry as a newly established: arranging human resource, settling offices and budget issues were prioritized measures.
The minister proceeded that there are 20 focus areas to be effectuated within 100 days. Appointing board heads and presidents of the universities with merits like knowledge, education status and training rather than regional or birth place was the foremost action. The proportionality among gender, nationality and carrier should be taken into consideration while appointing these officials according to the minister.
“For instance”, she said, “there were only two female board heads for almost 50 universities up to recent times. But at the moment, 10 universities are being headed by female board heads and they are appointed with parallel merits of knowledge, education status and experience with male counterparts”. Similarly, at the moment, presidents of all universities are male except few deputy managerial positions. In order to circumvent this drawback, empowering women and ameliorating the proportion is pivotal. To this end, a female teachers and students network has been established. Psychological makeup and life skill training for the students were amid the duties of the ministry to mindset them to be goal oriented.
This was obtained, as to her, by providing motivational speeches and trainings in collaboration with prominent persons like artists, human rights activists, scholars and other public figures. The minister said that she herself has begun the motivational speech at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University for about 500 students. One interesting speech related for Arbaminch university students by Obang Mito, human rights activist, titled “Humanity rather than ethnicity”, is a good example. And also volunteer professors from the diaspora community presented their speeches at Gondar and Bahirdar Universities.
In order to sustain tranquil teaching learning process, arranging discussion sessions with administrators of the universities at every level and local elders aiming at identifying short and long term problems to act accordingly was among the deeds, noted the minister. Quality education, which is nonnegotiable, belongs to the core issues given priority in the plan. Therefore, the exit exam which is currently confined to medicine and engineering graduates is aimed to be practical for all.
To this end, a study team of professionals is established to come up with research based proposal. The process is underway and the ministry has organized human resource for the application as soon as it is engrossed, as to Dr. Hirut. In line with this, standardizing the degraded science laboratories and engineering workshops is given appropriate attention in the ministry’s plan.
To facilitate laboratories for all natural sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and workshops for civil and electrical engineering, a standard is prepared and forwarded to universities following thorough discussion with stakeholders and the follow up is underway. Undoubtedly, Ethiopia’suniversities are expected to be competent globally in publishing reputable study and research journals.
The application process, therefore, is underway in collaboration with Ethiopian Science Academy and is nearly expected to be ready for discussion with stakeholders. In order to provide efficient customer service at higher education institutions, interactive automation system is arranged in all universities that enables customers get response for any question at distance. In addition, as to the minister, employers are also fortunate to use ‘graduate verification system’ software online to check the authenticity of the certificate of their applicants.
Graduation and research papers should be put in use for the community, industry and development efficiently rather than being shelf decorating. Cognizant to this, the ministry has established software named National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia (NADRE) that encloses all papers of students and publications of instructors and linked with plagiarism test system. Having heard the exposition, members of the standing committee have raised questions for further explanation.
The questions are basically focused on inclusiveness of the plan regarding human resource, Balance Score Cad (BSC) format, rent seeking and strategies to tackle internal and external problems against the teaching learning process. The minister and state ministers have reflected on the questions that some issues are already included in the plan whereas others to be taken as input for the future. Overall, as to the standing committee, the education sector should keep secularism as the communities of higher education come from diversified political, religious and cultural background.
Herald January 1/2019
BY BACHA ZEWDIE
