Education news and developments

[abesha]

Secondary school is all English AFAIK, apart from Amharic class.

[Hersh]

He's obsessed with making everything Amharic.lol

[Simfan34]

Originally Posted by abesha

Secondary school is all English AFAIK, apart from Amharic class.

That's a great shame...

Originally Posted by abesha

He's obsessed with making everything Amharic.lol

Yes, yes I am. I see no reason why not to.

[abesha]

Simfan, don't take it the wrong way, but you seem really young to me from your posts here. How old are you? It seems you still have the idealism of extreme youth (i.e. adolescence).

[Simfan34]

Originally Posted by abesha

Simfan, don't take it the wrong way, but you seem really young to me from your posts here. How old are you? It seems you still have the idealism of extreme youth (i.e. adolescence).

Five. I jest.

I don't see how wanting Ethiopian students to learn in the predominant language is "idealism", it isn't likely, but I don't see why it's so naive to think so.

[abesha]

You don't see how doing that in the past created resentment? You don't see the need to change and adapt to reality instead of what we wish it to be? We have to be realistic. Over 60% of the population probably doesn't speak Amharic. Why should they learn it as a default? In an ideal world, we would have one unifying national language, but that was tried and it created resentment.
I just want peace in that country. I'm tired of the silly arguments when we have more pressing issues like poverty and backwardness.

[Simfan34]

Originally Posted by abesha

You don't see how doing that in the past created resentment? You don't see the need to change and adapt to reality instead of what we wish it to be? We have to be realistic. Over 60% of the population probably doesn't speak Amharic. Why should they learn it as a default? In an ideal world, we would have one unifying national language, but that was tried and it created resentment.
I just want peace in that country. I'm tired of the silly arguments when we have more pressing issues like poverty and backwardness.

I'm not arguing for it, I just think it would be better than a foreign language.

And that's not what we did in the past. What we did was force everyone to use Amharic and basically ban any other language. That's not what I want to see; I want to see everyone speak their languages and be able to speak in one of our own to each other.

Is it that crazy of an idea?

[abesha]

That's what happens in elementary school. It's completely in local language except English class.

High school, everyone switches to English, except the local language class. That's how I remember it anyway.

[Yoniii]

Ethiopia's Engineering Capacity Building Program (ecbp) said Faculty of Technology at Addis Ababa University and Bahir Dar University are to be transformed to Institute of Technologies. Here is the news as reported by Ethiopian News Agency.

---------

Source: ENA

Three Institutes of technologies (IOT) will be inaugurated on Friday, the Engineering Capacity Building Program (ecbp) said.

In a press conference he gave here on Wednesday, Capacity Building Program Director, Mebratu Melese said the establishment of the institutes will addresses the existing gap of highly qualified man power and relevant technology.

He said the institutes will be opened as part of the ongoing University Reform being undertaken in Ethiopia by the ecbp and the Ministry of Education.

Mebratu said the opening up of the institutes shows how the government gives due emphasis to tackle the problem related to trained manpower needed for industries, thereby promoting the industrial development of the country.

According to a press statement ecbp issued, the former Faculties of Technology are being transformed into efficient and effective Institutes of Technology (IOT).

The IOT’s that are managed by international academic experts during the transformation period will be a home for technology education, research and transfer to the economy.

Zewdu Kassa, Manager of the University Reform component of ecbp, states on his part that the modern teaching and learning practices that are being conducted in the new IOT’s is leading to a more educated workforce and more practical research.

The three IOT’s are: the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAIT), the Bahir Dar Institute of Textile, Garment and Fashion Design (IOTEX), and Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (IOT BDU).

These new semi-autonomous IOT’s have been established in the process of the overall University Reform being conducted by the ecbp.

For the implementation of the overall university reform, the government of Ethiopia allocates 170 million Birr, the government of Germany 25 and European Union 11 million respectively.

http://nazret.com/blog/index.php?tit...&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[abesha]

Ban on distance education lifted

The Federal Ministry of Education has lifted its ban on distance education, after a one-and-half month long negotiation with private institutions ended last week in agreement.

At the end of the last academic year, the Ministry scrapped all distance education programs of both private and public institutions in the country due to quality concerns.

This was made through a directive issued on August 26, 2010 and sent by the Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency to industry stakeholders, including 64 private institutions.

Following that, the private institutions, led by Ethiopian Private Higher Education Institutions Association (EPHEIA), were engaged in various negotiations with the education minister “to clear the gray areas” and come to an understanding.

The two parties came to an agreement last Friday that lifted the banning of off-campus education and expansion of education programs along with opening new campuses by private institutions.

The agreement, however, was made under a condition of the private universities and colleges implementing government policy that forces them to outline their curriculum based on a strict 70 to 30 ratio between natural sciences and technology versus social sciences and humanity studies.

Based on the agreement, the private institutions will have a two year period after which they would be expected to fully implement the new curricula. According to Nega Namaga of EPHEIA, the agreement further entails a periodical scrutiny by the ministry before the private institutions graduate their students.:clap:

“It’s a fruit of a long negotiation and we are happy with the move the ministry made,” said Nega.

Based on the agreement, the ministry will lift its sanction of any regular new program, increment of student’s enrolment capacity, setting up new institutions, or even opening new branches for private institutions.

Concerning those institutions that have been offering postgraduate studies after entering a special contract with the government, they shall continue to do so under close periodic scrutiny and evaluation. It is only when it gets approved by the concerned authorities that they can admit new students.

Training of teachers and health workers, however, remains to be given solely to public institutions as the ministry still doubts the capability of private educational institutions.

Nega also pointed out that the Association will acquire its own Quality Assurance body in the future. “We are going to scrutinize ourselves and improve the service given by members of the association, but for that to happen, the government should support our endeavor,” said Nega.

http://capitalethiopia.com/index.php...ntent&Itemid=4

This monitoring by the government is waaaaayyyy overdue.

When I was in Addis around 2007, the joke around town was ቤታቹን ጥላችው ስራ ስትሄዱ በሩን መቆለፍ እንዳትረሱ ካለበዚያ ኮሌጅ ሁኖ ይጠብቃችዋል

[Hersh]

Originally Posted by abesha

Ban on distance education lifted

http://capitalethiopia.com/index.php...ntent&Itemid=4

This monitoring by the government is waaaaayyyy overdue.

When I was in Addis around 2007, the joke around town was ቤታቹን ጥላችው ስራ ስትሄዱ በሩን መቆለፍ እንዳትረሱ ካለበዚያ ኮሌጅ ሁኖ ይጠብቃችዋል

[abesha]

Germans to manage pioneer technology institutes

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has reorganized five engineering and technology faculties under the Institute of Technology (IoT) by outsourcing the latter’s management to the Engineering and Capacity Building Program (ecbp) run by the German government in mid October. The process of facilitating the transfer of these engineering and technology institution from universities and form IoT as semi-autonomous institute was started in March 6, 2009. Among the five institutions, two are found in Addis Ababa, two in Bahir Dar and one in Mekele. Formerly, all of them were under different universities with different names, Yilma Tigabu, acting head of communications and public relations with ecbp, told The Reporter.

For instance, the former Engineering and Technology Faculty and Lideta Building College under the Addis Ababa University (AAU) were changed to the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAIoT) and the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture and City Development (EIoACD), respectively. Under Bahir Dar University there are two technology institutes, namely the Institute of Textile, Garment and Fashion Design (IoTGFD) and the Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BDIoT). The fifth, which was under the administration of Mekele University, has now been renamed the Ethiopian Institute of Technology-Mekele (EIoTM).

Currently, the institutes are being managed by foreign experts who have experience at some of the top institutions in the world. These “Scientific and Managing Directors’’ work closely with Ethiopian leaders who will be better equipped to manage these important institutes in the future. Thus, AAIoT has its own supervisory board, management board and scientific directors as an organizational structure. The supervisory board chairman is Minister of Civil Service, Junedi Saddo while Professor Dr. Heiko Schroeder is the Scientific Director, Yilma told The Reporter.

The main reason which necessitated putting these institutes under the management of ecbp was the fact that technology is the main area of intervention in building individual capacity on technical and vocational training. Recently, the government has also structured its educational strategy whereby 70 percent of students of higher education will be enrolled in natural science and technology and the rest in social sciences, Yilma explained.

A 2004 study on overhalving the higher education system emphasized the need to change the institutional culture in Ethiopian higher education institutions (HEIs). This study highlighted the lack of human resources management and said this could be attributed to, among other things, negativity amongst staff and the authoritarian way in which many institutions were being managed.

The Engineering Capacity Building Program (ecbp) came into existence in late 2005 with one of its four components focusing on university reform. The reform is geared towards addressing the very problems that were identified a year earlier. The plan is to establish five additional IoTs, which will build on the already great successes seen so far, Yilma added.

http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/eng...ews&Itemid=511

They're really focusing on the sciences which is very very important.

[developingfan]

Does that mean there will be no programs to study history or language? I can understand why there would be an emphasis on the sciences and technology but I feel like there should at least be some study of the humanities... linguistics would be useful, history...

[abesha]

Of course there will be social sciences, but these are Institutes of Technology so they're (I think exclusively) about science.

The social sciences will probably be in the universities.

[rasta55]

Originally Posted by abesha

Of course there will be social sciences, but these are Institutes of Technology so they're (I think exclusively) about science.

The social sciences will probably be in the universities.

In any case, they are trying to promote a 70/30 balance, so there would be some of the arts/social sciences ...which is not unreasonable overall...

[abesha]

Ethiopia to import Philipino teachers

The Ethiopian government is set to import technology and vocational teachers from the Philippines to meet the growing demand for instructors in its polytechnic institutions, Capital has learnt.

Around 150 teachers will be brought from the Philippines in the next few months. A government official has already traveled to the Asian country to interview the teachers.

The Ministry of Education has regularly brought in teachers from India to fill the vacant teaching positions in various higher learning institutions. This has not occurred in Technical and Vocational Education however.

But now, the Federal Ministry of Education is set to hire teachers from the Philippines in order to train students in vocational and technical education throughout the country.

Though the ministry is saying the teachers will arrive shortly, it has declined to state to which regional states’ polytechnic institutes the teachers will be assigned to and when exactly they will reach Ethiopia.

The importing of technology teachers is congruent with the government’s educational policy of a 70/30 ratio of science to social work majors.

The Addis Ababa city government of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Agency has already prepared four institutions to accommodate the teachers.

Among the six TVET institutions in the city, Entoto, Misrak, Nifas Silk, General Wingate and Tegbare-Ed are the beneficiaries of the Philipino teachers. All instructors are expected to have extensive knowledge of technology.

“We don’t have a say as to who will come to us,” said Awel Kedir deputy director of the Addis Ababa TVET agency, “but we know they are coming and we hope they arrive here in the next few months,” he said adding that they will be dispersed across various institutions.

Currently, there are 95 TVET colleges in the country, out of which 11 are government owned.

http://capitalethiopia.com/index.php...-news&Itemid=4

[Ahadu]

abesha, thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by abesha

Currently, there are 95 TVET colleges in the country, out of which 11 are government owned.

OMG...when this did happen? They are mushrooming like hell. Amazing!

So by the look of it, the government is importing for the 11 colleges. Hmmm!

Originally Posted by abesha

[B]The Ethiopian government is set to import technology and vocational teachers from the Philippines to meet the growing demand for instructors in its polytechnic institutions, Capital has learnt.

Around 150 teachers will be brought from the Philippines in the next few months. A government official has already travelled to the Asian country to interview the teachers.

First, It's good that the Government is paying attention to VET. Right now, VET graduates are so critical & key for the country's economy more than the higher education degree graduates. At this stage, Ethiopia doesn't need highly qualified medical doctors (as Zenawi put it ) or specialist or someone to split atoms.....this is actually true - what the country desperately need, for example, is a basic health worker with three month certificate qualification so that she/he can tell the neighbourhood to wash their hand & boil water before drinking. Ethiopians are not suffering with heart attack or cancer; rather, they are dying because of simple preventable diseases. - so, TVET is a solution.

However, I really don't get it why import professional overseas teachers? Isn’t a TVET program?.... (BTW, why they are mixing "Technical" & "Vocational"? - I think this creates confusion in terms of designing the curriculum ). Isn't the core idea of vocational education is to "train" students so that they can get a simulated on the job training?

Rather than importing "teachers", the government should start recycling VET graduates to become trainers / or, another possible option is to get those retired professionals (engineers, mechanics, technicians etc.), give them a short training course (i.e. trainer certificate) so that they can transfer their skills and knowledge to the younger generation. Think about it, how many healthy but retired Ethiopian airlines technicians are out there - they are perfect to train auto mechanics or electrical and electronics technicians.

[enkelfam]

Ethiopia is to get a new science observatory in about a month. The construction of a facility for the observatory, projected to cost 10 million Br, is located in the area of the Entoto Mountains, on the outskirts to the north of the capital.

The construction of the observatory was awarded to Radar Construction Company by the Ethiopian Space and Science Society in September 2008 and construction started in December that year. Once complete, the observatory will house an Optical Telescope with the capability to exponentially magnify an object, according to Solomon Belaye (PhD), board member and education and research coordinator of the Science Society. “The telescope costs 20 million Br and its purchase and installation has already been awarded to a foreign company,” he told Fortune.

The Ethiopian Space and Science Society was formed in April 2004 and recognised by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in June 2004. Its initial membership of 27 has now reached 1,065 members.

http://addisfortune.com/news_radar.htm

[enkelfam]

By Birtukan Funta

Addis Ababa University (AAU) announced the formation of an endowment fund to augment the financial capacity of the first and the oldest higher education institution in the country. The endowment fund is designed to handle financial donation in such way that it would be used to generate more capital so that the donated money won’t be eaten away by inflation. According to the program coordinator, Araya Agitta, the financial donation would be invested in other income generating ventures there by securing margins to be used by the institution; however, the principal would remain intact. Once the fund is started, whatever the institution earns, by investing its endowment, would also help raising the endowment itself, he said.

Prof. Andreas Eshete, president of AAU, said that it is in the best interest of the business community since they are in the receiving end of the product of the institution. He said the fund would also be used for student scholarship, research grants for masters and PhD candidates and as payment for famous scholars.

http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/eng...ews&Itemid=511

[dorzew]

Addis Abeba University President Resigns

Andreas Eshete (Prof), president of Addis Abeba University (AAU), resigned from his position last week.

It will be officially announced this week, reliable sources told Fortune.

The reason for his resignation remains unconfirmed, but people close to him said that he resigned out of his free will.


Ever since he suffered a stroke three years ago, his retirement has been a subject of speculation in academic circles. Andreas was president of the university for more than nine years, after Eshetu Wencheko (Prof). He was a
prominent figure during the student movement against the Derg regime and is known to be a close friend of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Andreas was one of the youngest students in the US to graduate with a PhD in the 1960s. He returned to Ethiopia in the 1970s where he joined the philosophy department of what was then called Haile Selassie I University. The University College of Addis Abeba was established by Emperor Haile Selassie, in 1950 and renamed Haile Selassie I University, in 1962, before it became AAU, in 1975.

After the coup d’etat, in 1974, Andreas returned to the US where he taught and became involved in the opposition to Mengistu Hailemariam (Col) as one of the few members forming the intellectual base for the opposition.

He returned to Ethiopia, in 1991, after Mengistu’s removal from power. At the time, he was involved in the process of drafting the Constitution, where he advocated the inclusion of a constitutional court, creating a sharp difference between him and Meles. Reported Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) atrocities in the region had been exaggerated, he remarked after the expulsion of the fighters from Ethiopia. This made him very unpopular at the time.

In the early 1990s, he was a member of Inter Africa Group, a think tank, and in the early 2000s he joined the philosophy department at AAU. After several years as a successful faculty member, he was appointed president, in 2002.

During his tenure, he was credited with making the university’s senate accountable to the president, and shielding the university from political interference, allowing it to be managed independently.

However, recently, anonymous writings against him started appearing on the Internet, accusing him of nepotism, favouritism, and delegating authority without accountability. Over the years he has actively participated in the national effort to reclaim important artefacts removed from the country by the British and the Italians during the 19th and 20th centuries.

“The departure of Andreas will create a void in the institution as a high standard has been established by him through his work,” an employee at AAU told Fortune. “He developed good international communications, and the institution receives large amounts of aid because of his work. If the successor does not have the same qualities, there will be a large gap.”

Andreas is also chairman of the National Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Adwa, where he marked the occasion last week.


“Our society has developed a culture of depending on certain individuals and thinking that everything will go wrong when they are gone,” another instructor at the AAU told Fortune. “The reform process of the university, including its strategic plan, is complete, and his replacement will know what to do. AAU is bigger than one individual’s resignation.”

http://www.addisfortune.com/Addis%20...%20Resigns.htm