The sagacious always plan ahead of time.
Cognizant that greatly investing on education creates a springboard that catapults generations to come to higher levels of growth, Ethiopia is aiming at leveling the ground when it comes to access to quality education.
Despite the fact that the number of both government-run and privately-owned schools had made an upward trajectory over the course of the past two decades, the quality of education especially in the latter did, reportedly, suffered a nosedive. A high turnover of teachers on whom the noose is tightened than students is highly apparent in the latter case posing a question mark on the overall quality of their educational services.
The gap between the exorbitant schools’ fees the ever-mushrooming private schools, which mainly focus on English language as per the demand of parents wishing to boast the eloquence of their children, charge and parents’ financial muscle are ever widening by the year.
Studies also shed light on the fact that except lessons on English language, relatively speaking and for some exceptional cases, the former render a quality education than the latter.
Hence, shifting attention to gradually bring down the ever-mounting fees private schools charge, with an all-out effort, citizens have to lend hands to the governmental push to maintain dilapidated government-run schools, repair desks and blackboards as well as furnish schools with the necessary facilities. Classrooms must be ones that whet students’ learning appetite. Laboratories and libraries must be in full gear in government owned schools.
Similarly, it is possible to deploy more efficient and capable teachers at government schools so as to disseminate quality education across the board.
The outreaching move has to place children and youths at the center stage.
Instead of incurring a yet a higher cost every year for sending children to expensive schools pursuant of a quality education, most of the times in vain, it is better every year contributing modest sums that could be channeled towards the reinforcement of government-run schools.
In so doing, citizens could accomplish a task whose fruits go a long way in benefiting generation yet to come on the rail of time. Focus should be placed on building a nation than simply favoring own offspring.
Imbued with this spirit, citizens must be forthcoming when it comes to bit by bit upgrading schools in their vicinity so that all get quality education in close by schools.
Here, it worth to mention that in various walks of life Ethiopia has produced many intellectuals learnt in its government-run schools and that are making a meaningful contribution in different spheres of endeavor.
Almost all our lulus that ,on the eve of the New Year, won awards and recognition— gold medals certificates— by organizations engaged in such incentivization are ones who hail from government-run schools.
Challenging their limits some Ethiopians have even climbed to the global helm learnt with one hand tied behind their backs in government schools. This showcases the case in point is a viable one.
Obviously, as the mind could be disturbed to function properly if the stomach is empty, the school-feeding program to students from lower income brackets in some government schools by philanthropic organizations must be encouraged.
Denying children quality education is tantamount to denying them opportunities for economic empowerment. This too has to be taken into consideration as we ponder on rendering government –run schoolsplaces where today we build tomorrow.
We can wind up by a famous quote of Al Sharpton “There’s no reason why children in inner cities or rural areas do not receive the same quality education or opportunities as those in suburbs or wealthy neighborhoods. If we truly believe in giving all citizens a chance to pursue happiness and pursue their goals, then we cannot continue to marginalize entire groups of people. ”
The Ethiopian Herald Sept 29/2019
