Reports show that around 8.5 million youth are entering the job market in the 14 eastern Africa countries annually. Meanwhile, the countries have not been able to provide jobs for the youth partly because the countries are not equipping the youth with the proper skills needed in today’s job market.
According to a report presented at the 23rd regional integration experts meeting held in Asmara, Eritrea on 5 November 2019, Ethiopia ranks top in eastern Africa having the largest number of illiterate people – over 57% women and 30% of men in working age group.
Andrew Mold, Acting Director at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa based in Kigali, Rwanda, who presented the paper entitled Macroeconomic and social overview of Eastern Africa, described the situation as “Achilles’ heel”, stressing the need for Ethiopia to address the high number of illiteracy.
Therefore, The Ethiopian Herald has tried to reach out to Ik Chang (PhD), a Korean advisor from World Friends National IT Industry Promotion Agency (World Friends NIPA), currently advising at Center for Educational Information & Communication Technology in Ethiopia, to have his say on the issue.
Herald: According to a recent study, Ethiopia has already topped the illiteracy list in East Africa with 57% of women and 30% men in working in the age group between 15-45 years old. Meanwhile, the government pledges bettering the education. The question resides in which one should be prioritized first to tackle this looming illiteracy, reducing the illiteracy rate through promoting education for all or working on bettering the quality of the education?
Ik Chang: Low literacy rates are very serious in primary education. The federal and state governments and all educators need to work harder than anything else to increase the literacy rate. If primary school students cannot read and write a letter, no matter how good the education is, it would not work.
Herald: In today’s artificial intelligence, biotechnology and fourth industrial revolution age, experts’ are advising countries to train graduates for the jobs of tomorrow. How do you see Ethiopia’s push, in this regard?
Ik Chang: Students who graduate from high school or college and find employment have addressed the problem of reading and writing through past studies. Otherwise, they would not have managed to get a high school or college diploma.
The world is in the midst of a revolution in technology called Fourth Industrial Revolution. Rot learning or acquiring knowledge via simply solving and memorizing drills does not give the solution that the time requires. As you mentioned, the talent that is needed today must be able to work together to solve problems have never encountered before.
In order to collaborate well, first, we need to be able to quickly identify the roots of a given problem. To do this, we need to develop the ability to search on the internet to choose what one needs the most from a lot of information.
The ability to easily communicate and collaborate with friends, co-workers, and even people you have never met before must be taught and trained at schools. Education and training about ICT literacy is urgent not only in Ethiopia but in schools of most countries. Therefore, this new training requires a major adjustment to the curriculum and implementation of the ICT in education policy.
The bottom line is that primary schools must focus on all of their competencies to improve their literacy. Secondary schools need to change all systems to learn and train their computer skills to solve problems and develop new concepts and ideas. If it is difficult to execute because there is no budget or experts, the competitiveness of the country can no longer improve. This is possible only if the federal and local governments have to go with the same goals and directives, and the media can support them.
Herald: What are the problems that you have personally observed in our educational system so far?
Ik Chang: Well, this is my opinion from paper works and discussions, Ethiopia’s education system needs too much money to bring it to the needed standard and produce competent professionals. For, almost many of the schools do not have computer laboratories where students learn about information & communication technology and how it works. Even those that have it do not have backup generators to use during electricity blackouts. So, problems of Ethiopian Educational System in terms of ICT: lack of mid and long term policy about ICT in Education, lack of execution plan: what need to be changed, who should be in charge, how to make changes, and why? Etc…; lack of experienced people from federal and regional government to every schools, lack of money (Federal budget) to set up necessary infrastructure (PC lab, Internet access, digital contents, ICT curriculum…) too much time making decisions in higher positions, unstable nation-wide electric power supply system in all areas (offices, schools, houses..) which is most important element applying ICT in Education.
Herald: What do you recommend regarding recruiting qualified teachers?
Ik Change: Ways of having good teachers in schools lies in: improving teacher’s salary levels, creating laws and regulations to implement the policy, then managing and evaluating teachers thoroughly, and making an incentive system for teachers to follow the ICT in education policy.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday edition December 22/2019
BY BELAY ADUGNA (Former EPA’s Staffer)
