BY SOLOMON WASSIHUN
The war between man and nature is still raging on with no decisive victory in sight, despite the developments and distribution of several vaccines around the world. Some countries are introducing new lockdowns while others are relaxing them. The pandemic has left few sectors of socio-economic activities unscathed, and the damage appears far from over. Global trade, transportation, tourism, education, and others have been disrupted in unprecedented manner since the times of the World War II.
It was one year ago last week that the first case of Coronavirus was reported in Ethiopia. Claiming the lives of over 2,500 citizens, and infecting a total of over 170 thousand, the virus is still aggressively spreading among the population. As is the case anywhere in the world, Ethiopia has suffered from a sudden unforeseen paralysis of its education system due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic last year. And yet, one year on, Ethiopia has never been in lockdown, the clamor of the market places is loud as usual, and schools and colleges are now open and brimming with students.
Some Ethiopian students feel that the challenge they have been through since last year is far more complicated than that encountered by students of other countries. A candidate who sat for last week’s Ethiopian University Entrance Examinations (EUEE), explains: “Unlike students of other countries, here we have been struggling with two Coronas. The first one is the natural one, the virus; and the second is the conflict. [The conflicts and unrests triggered and masterminded by anti-peace forces like TPLF in various parts of the country]”
Three months ago, it was next to impossible for the Ethiopian education authorities to administer the yearly university entrance national exam to students across the country. To our delight, we learned last week that the matriculation exam has been successfully conducted across the nation, including the states that are going through unrest and rough patches like the Tigray State. The successful completion of this nationwide undertaking has significant symbolic value in demonstrating the nation’s resilience and capacity to adjust itself in the trying times of the concurring calamities, including the pandemic and other natural disasters as well as man-made ones.
Seid, a resident of the recent war affected Humera Town, was one of the several hundreds of thousands of high school leavers who made a great sigh of relief and rekindled their heart with hope for the future, after being able to make it for EUEE at last, after several months of expectations and despair.
“Desperately waiting for the exam for almost a year, we suffered too much for too long. At first, the regular schedule for the exam was in May 2020, but following the outbreak of Corona, everything came to stand still, and so did the Exam schedule, which was postponed to November 2020. As the new exam date approaches, another calamity struck us–the conflict sparked by TPLF. I fled to Sudan where I stayed for over two weeks. Back then, I was hopeless and felt the years I spent in school were all in vain. I was also traumatized by the horrific scene I witnessed in Mai kadra. But upon receiving the good news of the return of peace and stability in Humera, I immediately returned. At last, it was a happy ending. I sat for the exam. I did it, and I am now looking forward to joining a university this year.”
For those over 358 thousand candidates across the nation, last week’s national examination has surely been the most important exam in their life that defines their future. It is the ultimate test for their eligibility to the ‘passport’ for the limited access to immediate scholarship for higher education in state universities. It is the crucial exam that could open possibilities for a better life for themselves and their families.
The education minister has made it clear last week, when he declared the successful conclusion of the National University Entrance Exam, commonly known by students as Matric, that examinees from ‘conflict zones’ would get special treatment during the evaluation of their exam results, by way of compensating for the disadvantaged situations they have been through.
It does not take any expertise to imagine how challenging the administration of this year’s national matriculation exam has been, given the pervasive and worsening conditions of the pandemic in the nation, destruction of infrastructures including school systems as well as the fragile peace in some areas of the country that could have faltered suddenly.
The four-day nationwide operation has been a huge logistical and leadership challenge for the education authorities and stakeholders including security forces at federal and regional levels. The coordinated effort of the stakeholders has made it possible to ensure all security measures from printing, distribution, and administration of the exam without any major examination malpractices especially the crime of leaking out national examination question papers.
The Ministry of Education has strategized the successful administration of the national exam by establishing a command post coordinating activities of all stakeholders involved in the process, and also providing prior orientation programs for students in the part of the country experiencing security issues.
Even ingenious logistical arrangements have been made to enable registered candidates in conflict-ravaged parts of the country to sit for the national exam. The official in charge of the Humera exam center has been quoted as saying: “We have here candidates originally registered at various areas including Axum, Shire, Mai kadra, and Kafta. Conversely, there are some candidates registered here in Humera but taking the exam elsewhere [where they are settled now].”
In the Tigray State, university campuses have been used as examination centers for candidates from various corners of the State. Education authorities have availed themselves of the facilities of Axum, Mekele, and Raya Universities to establish exam stations accessible to candidates settling in the vicinity. Similar cooperation and support extended by public institutions and private citizens have enabled the education authorities to the successful administration of EUEE in such unlikely places like Metekel Zone, Raya, as well as Wollkaite where there have been issues of security and logistics challenges. There were also special exam stations set in the capital city for those examinees moved from places where there have been conflicts, seeking the support of their relatives in Addis.
It is worth mentioning here the commendable contribution made by communities residing in such areas towards the successful execution of the national exam process. There are cases where individuals offer a free service of their private vehicles to be used for examination executives. The people also voluntarily provided logistical supports in rehabilitating damaged and looted schools to make them ready as exam centers. Some communities even provided food and refreshments to examinees. All these voluntary acts of civic duties attest to the peoples’ resolve and commitment to supporting the government’s efforts in bringing their communities back to consolidated peace and normalcy, whereby going to their businesses and their children school attendance as well as their sitting for national exams would be just familiar basic routines that do not make news headlines.
Should Seid obtain a grade in the EUEE, good enough to qualify him to join state university this year, surely all his sufferings will be handsomely compensated. He would be one of the several thousands of freshmen who would be the first batch of college students that would benefit from the implementation of the rigorous reform measures being undertaken to upgrade the quality of higher education.
The Ethiopian Herald March 17/2021
