BY ELIZABETH MENGISTU
Expanding educational institutions at all level, accessing education for all and ensuring quality education is instrumental to produce well educated, productive and principled citizens thereby speed up countries’ socio-economic development.
Ethiopia since the past two decades has been working untiringly targeting to access education for all. As a result, several schools were built all over the country; and efforts were exerted to equip them with the required school materials and equipment though it is not at the desired level. Even in those marginalized areas where there were no schools at all; and parents compelled to send their children to distant areas to let them pursue their education, universities were built, aside from primary and secondary schools. Accordingly, notable increments have been witnessed regarding to students’ enrollments.
Currently, the Office of The First Lady is constructing schools in various areas of the country and making available the facilities for the people residing in the areas.
Recently, the Office has inaugurated a secondary school in the Southern part of the country, Gurage Zone, Abshege Woreda.
As it is learnt, the newly inaugurated secondary school, ‘Rege Eyat Secondary School’, was built with the cost of over 10 million Birr and has 10 classrooms, two laboratories, a library, clinic, restrooms and an administration building.
Speaking on the inauguration ceremony held at Hawassa Town, First Lady Zinash Tayachew said, schools need to work aggressively to create responsible and well educated citizens who can benefit their country.
According to the First Lady, her Office’s target of building schools across the nation targets at producing well educated citizens who can benefit themselves, significantly contribute to their families, and their country at large.
The determinations and dedications of parents, teachers and stakeholders are crucial to make schools places where citizens could be equipped with the required knowledge so as to contribute their share to the country in various aspects and fields, and transfer the institutions from generation to generation.
The community should to take good care of the school to enable it provide the desired services, Zinash added.
Chief of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s State, Ristu Yirdaw, on his part said that education has a key role to play in detaching a certain country from backwardness; and prospering it; and the school has key role in this regard.
“The First Lady, by expanding schools across the country that are central for this generation and the generation to come, is making a daring history,” he added.
He also urged all concerned bodies [school community, parents, and the community] to work hard and support the school to produce morally good, knowledgeable, productive and patriotic citizens.
Temam Nuru is one of the villagers in the Zone. As to him, in earlier years, sending students to high schools were very challenging because there was no any in the surrounding area,
“I am very excited for having an institution where we can send and teach our children with the hope that they will further their education and betterment their future,” he remarked.
The Office of the First Lady has alleviated communities’ long-lasting school problems by building a new school, he added.
Desalegne WoldeKirkos is the other person who appreciates Office’s move. As to him, in earlier times following the unavailability of high schools in their places, they were compelled to send their school children to adjacent town’s secondary schools providing with rations.
“From now on we are saved from unnecessary costs, and our children will be free from distresses and anxiety,” he added.
He also stated his readiness to keep the school accordingly; contribute the necessary financial, material or labor support for the expansion work of the school and hand over it to the next generation as it should be.
Methuselah Seifu, 8th grader, said that students who aspired to extend their secondary education had to travel far away. While those who had bicycles used to ride long distances, those who did not have any; were obligated to walk on foot. He also expressed his happiness for having a secondary school in his surrounding area as it allows him to pursue his education when he completes eighth grade.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Gurage Zone Chief Administrator Mohamed Jamal, senior officials and the local people. At the ceremony, a dairy cow, which is a symbol of honor and respect among the women in Gurage culture, was given to the First Lady,
The Ethiopian herald June 18/2022
