Ethiopian Education Development Roadmap 
                            (2018-30) 
               An integrated Executive Summary 
                                                    
         
                                                    
         
         
                           Ministry of Education 
                        Education Strategy Center (ESC) 
         
                         Draft for Discussion 
        By Tirussew Teferra, Amare Asgedom, Jeilu Oumer, Tassew W/hanna, AkliluDalelo  and Berhannu 
        Assefa 
        Addis Ababa 
        July 2018 
         
         
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                     Table of Content                                                                                                    Page                                        
                       1.  Introduction                                                                                           3 
                       2.  Methodology                                                                                          5                                            
                       3.  Objectives                                                                                              6 
                       4.  Pre-primary and Primary Education                                                7 
                       5.  Secondary and Preparatory Education                                                   22 
                       6.  Teacher Preparation and Development                                                  36 
                       7.  Higher Education                                                                                  49 
                       8.  Technical  and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)                   65 
                       9.  Policy, Governance and Leadership                                                       86 
                       10.  References                                                                                             100   
                        
                     
                
                
                
                
                
                
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       1.  Introduction 
       In January 2016, the Ministry of Education (Education Strategy Centre) developed a concept 
       note  to  reform  the  education  sector  in  accordance  with  the  national  vision  and  national 
       development goals. Following this, work immediately started with a series of activities that 
       included  development  of  inception  report,  desk  review,  field  study,  international 
       benchmarking visit, and a variety of consultations with stakeholders. This report is therefore 
       the result of a variety of research activities and consultations (conferences and workshops) 
       that led to development of fundamental shifts to transform the educational system to accord 
       with the requirements of 21st century educational systems that play key roles in transforming 
       the  socio-economic  systems,  particularly  the  industrialization  process  that  Ethiopia  finds 
       itself at the present time. 
        
       Ethiopia is a country that is on a journey to its renaissance targeting at achieving peace, 
       unity- with-diversity, broad and rapid socio-economic growth, establishment of democratic 
       systems  and  good  governance.  The  Government  has  been  engaged  in  a  major  effort  to 
       transform Ethiopian society and place the country on a trajectory to become a lower middle-
       income economy by the year, 2030. Over the last several years, the economy grew by nearly 
       10 per cent per annum, one of the fastest growth rates registered in the world. During this 
       time, significant attention has been given to upgrading economic and social infrastructure and 
       promoting pro-poor spending on education, health, and other services to benefit the poor and 
       the marginalized. 
        
       Understanding  this  crucial  role,  the  education  sector  has  passed  through  a  series  of 
       successive,  rolling  Education  Sector  Development  Programs  (ESDP  I-V).  Since  the 
       formulation  of  the  1st  Growth  and  Transformation  Plan  (GTP  I),  education  was  given  a 
       special attention in the transformation of the economy from agriculture-led to industry-led 
       activity  and  thereby  supporting  the  manufacturing  sector  by  supplying  the  required 
       professionals  and  problem  solving  technological  innovations.    To  achieve  its  vision  of 
       becoming a lower middle income by 2030, Ethiopia has also developed the 2nd Growth and 
       Transformation Plan (GTP II) built on sector policies, strategies and programs and the UN 
       sustainable development goals. GTP II aims to achieve an annual average real GDP growth 
       rate of 11 per cent, pursing aggressive measures towards rapid industrialization and structural 
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       transformation such as increasing the productive capacity and efficiency of the economy by 
       rapidly  improving  quality,  productivity,  and  competitiveness  of  agriculture  and 
       manufacturing  industries,  and  accelerate  Human  capital  development  and  technological 
       capacity  building  and  ensure  sustainability.  Education  is  instrumental  to  attaining  these 
       development goals through application of science, technology and innovations. The latter are 
       major instruments to create wealth and bring about national development. 
        
       According to GTP II, greater shares of economic production will come from industry and 
       manufacturing with the consequent demands for middle- and higher-level skilled manpower 
       to be supplied by the educational system. Achieving these visions require further expansion 
       of access to high-quality basic, general and tertiary education; and special efforts to improve 
       the overall literacy and numeracy level of the population and producing capable university 
       graduates that serve the industry.  
        
       This report integrates three research findings; (1) the desk review report; (2) the field report 
       (3)  the  benchmarking  visit  report;  and  (4)  various  consultation  inputs.  The  international 
       benchmark visit took place between October 7 and October 22, 2017 to two Asian countries, 
       Vietnam  and  Malaysia.  The  two  countries  are  known  for  having  a  high  performing 
       educational system as gauged by PISA results (e.g. Vietnam ranked 12th compared to USA 
       which stood 28th in the 2016 PISA results of children who are 15 years old).  
        
       This integrated summary document contains several findings and proposed reforms (shifts). 
       At the present stage of the roadmap development process, the areas (pillars) of fundamental 
       change  (paradigm  shifts)  in  each  area  (thematic  area)  are  identified  and  presented  to  a 
       concurrent  validation  workshop  with  experts  of  each  thematic  area  and  achieved  useful 
       inputs.  
        
       The findings and proposed reforms are briefly  discussed theme-by theme in the ensuing 
       sections of the report which has six thematic areas: (1) pre-primary and primary education, 
       (2) secondary and preparatory education (3) teacher education and development, (4) higher 
       education, (5) TVET, and (6) policy, governance and leadership.  
        
        
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