UNVEILING THE CHALLENGES: Why did 97% of Ethiopian students fail in Grade 12th exams?
Introduction
The past two years have witnessed an alarming trend in Ethiopia’s educational landscape, as a staggering 97% of the nationwide students failed their Grade 12th exams known as "entrance exams". In the year 2022, only 3.3% of the country’s students scored above 50% of the required marks, whereas in this year (2023), only 3.2% scored above 50% of the required marks. This unprecedented high failure rate calls for a deeper understanding of the underlying causes and highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in this sector. In this article, we will delve into the multifaceted challenges and barriers faced by the Ethiopian students and it will explore potential solutions to rectify this concerning issue.
1. Language Barrier:
Ethiopia is home to diverse ethnic groups, each with its local language. However, the national language for high school and higher education is English. The transition from local languages to English as the medium of instruction can be daunting for students with limited exposure to English proficiency. Inadequate language support and insufficient training for both teachers and students impede effective communication and comprehension, leading to misconceptions, misinterpretations and ultimately poor exam results.
2. Outdated Teaching Methods:
Traditional teaching methods in classrooms predominantly focusing on rote learning and memorization have proven to be ineffective in nurturing critical thinking skills among high school students. The absence of interactive and innovative teaching techniques restricts students' ability to connect theoretical concepts which ultimately impacting their performance in exams.
3. Limited access to study materials:
Obviously, access to study materials plays a crucial role in students' academic success. However, most of the Ethiopian schools, especially those in rural and marginalized areas, lack the necessary resources including but not limited to, laboratories, libraries, textbooks, reference materials and internet access. In these areas, students face significant obstacles in obtaining supplementary materials, other relevant and online resources. This digital divide creates an unequal playing field, disadvantaging those without access to necessary learning materials and hindering their ability to perform well in exams.
4. Insufficient preparation time:
Inadequate time allocation for exam preparation is one of the primary reasons for students' failure. The Ethiopian education system places tremendous pressure on students to cover vast syllabi within tight deadlines. The curriculum demands extensive content coverage, leaving limited room for teachers to engage in meaningful revision exercises. This limited preparation time often results in students feeling overwhelmed and unable to adequately grasp the required knowledge and skills.
5. Economic disparities and inequality:
Limited resources and a disproportionate allocation of funding have resulted inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms resulting high student-to-teacher ratio, and insufficient teachers training. These factors disproportionately affect students from marginalized communities, further widening the achievement gap and contributing to high failure rate.
Conclusion
The inordinately high failure rate among Ethiopian Grade 12th students demands urgent attention from policymakers, educators and all other stakeholders. By collaboratively addressing the core challenges mentioned overhead and many untold others, robust reforms can be implemented to foster an inclusive, accessible and effective educational system in Ethiopia. Adequate preparation time, innovative teaching methodologies, improved access to study materials, enhanced teachers training and bridging language barriers must be prioritized to ensure students' success and empower them with the skills needed to thrive in their academic journey and beyond. Only through collective efforts can Ethiopia pave the way towards a bright future in the education sector.
Authored by Abdinasir Moalin Abdullahi; a humanitarian and social affairs activist.
