BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
Ethiopia has been exerting utmost efforts with regarding to ensuring access to education throughout the nation. It has built primary, secondary as well higher education institutions across the nation to access education for all, all ensuring equity.
The rapid expansion of educational institutions throughout the country though is a success in terms of bringing more children to schools,increasing enrollment rate,the issue of quality education remains behind for a number of reasons.
Unarguably, education is a dynamic phenomenon that demands well coherence approaches and concerted and actions form all. True, school education systems are complex and vary greatly across a nation and the same is true pertaining to the quality assuring mechanisms.
For the reason that the context varies,one model of approach to ensure quality education cannot fit all systems. To address the gapsat an early stage, therefore,it is not only necessary but also mandatory for educational institutions to work determinedly, to devise appropriate approaches and strengthening collaboration with pertinent bodies and stakeholders.
In his recent remark, Addis Ababa City Government Education Bureau Head Zelalem Mulatu (PhD) stated the efforts that theBureau is applyingto ensure quality education. As to him,collaboration among the sub-cities, secondary and primary as well as at the boarding schools is crucial to addressing the gaps witnessed in the area and ensuring quality education.
“The last six months performance of the Bureau was encouraging; we need to further strengthen efforts for greater coherence and synergy to guarantee quality education in the education system and increase best performing schools and Bureau’s departments.”
Making Addis Ababa the epicenter for quality education should be our motto. In the past six month the Bureau conducted performance evaluation in more than four hundred fifty schools as per the set standards of schools, institutions and departments. Consequently, the outcomes have confirmed that the performances of a number of primary and secondary schools as well as departments are progressive; and they are striving to ensure quality education amid challenges.
“We should also exert efforts to further strengthen schools and make the environment convenient for the teaching and learning process to generate well educated, responsible, creative and competitive citizens.
He further noted that, the issue of quality of education is a principal matter because ensuring quality education is as always at the heart of education and instrumental to advance country’s overall development.
“In my view, the six month performance appraisal of schools confirmed that it was ideal.Itwill not have been possible without the substantial input from many different contributors, teachers, students and stakeholders.”
As to the Head, without the contribution of these and other partners, there would have been no model school performance to draw on.
Schools should keep on providing standard based education to each grade level student and make them garner skills, knowledge and norms accordingly because schools’achievement is highly interrelated with equity and quality, in addition to access to education.
In this Ethiopian academic year (2015), there will be regional examinations for grade six students and a national examination for grade eight students in the coming July. Thus, each school in the city should assist students through tutorial sessions and other mechanisms to equip them with attentiveness and ensure improved students’ learning outcome.
He further noted that the motto onwards should focus on improving the result of students through screening underperforming students and arranging schedules to assist as per their gaps, both in academics and psychological strength.
“The Bureau is committed to providing quality education for all because; education has irreplaceable role in breaking the cycle of poverty and improving the lives of individual citizens. At the same time, education is a vital instrument in addressing inequalities and ensuring gender equality among societies. What is more, it is crucial in empowering people everywhere to live healthier and sustainable lives,” he underlined.
Since teachers are one of the valuable assets in the teaching-learning process and have the highest share to ensure quality education, the leadership should work in harmony with respective teachers. The role of teachers cannot be ignored as teachers are nation builders. They have a great role in building students’ overall development – intellectual, personal and social development, he added.
The Bureau also recommended schools to craft mechanisms as per the results of the students; reviewing it with coherence approaches to address the gaps early. Quality assurance involves the systematic review of educational programs and processes to maintain and improve their quality, equity and efficiency.To this effect, concerned bodies and stakeholders should take part in the process.
Finally, the Bureau is keen to work with all pertinent stakeholders to undo the challenges in the process; and the rank files in the city education system also will keep on assisting the schools to the grassroots.
Meanwhile, the Addis Ababa City Administration Education Bureau recognized institutions that achieved excellent results in the 6-month BSC performance assessment in the Ethiopian academic year.
The recognition was given to schools, district and sub-city educational bureaus, and stakeholders working in partnership with the bureaus,in the presence of education leaders, teachers, principals and representatives of teachers, and student parents’ associations.
In his message delivered at recognition program, Addis Ababa City Administration Education Bureau Head,Zelalem Mulatu (PhD)extended his heartfelt gratitude to all parties who contributed a lot to the successful completion of the evaluation system in a scientific and fair manner.
He also pointed out that institutions that have been awarded should share their experience with others; and those that scored low grade in their performance should strive for better results.
The Ethiopian Herald March 25/2023
