Ethiopia: Tigray Rolls Out New Curriculum After 16 Years, but Funding and Textbook Shortages Threaten Implementation

Addis Abeba — The Tigray Education Bureau has launched a new general education curriculum framework after 16 years under the previous framework, but officials warned that funding constraints and shortages of textbooks could limit its implementation when the new academic year begins.

Kiros Guesh (PhD), head of the Tigray Education Bureau, said the new framework seeks to combine indigenous knowledge and content with modern teaching approaches and respond to changes in education and society, including the growing influence of artificial intelligence.

Kiros said the previous curriculum framework had remained in place for 16 years and had failed to produce results commensurate with Tigray's educational aspirations. He attributed the need for a fundamental revision in part to the disruption caused by the war in Tigray, which he described as a genocidal war against the region's population.

"Facilities and books were destroyed, and now we are publishing with the new framework," Kiros told Addis Standard, referring to the destruction suffered by the education sector during the Tigray war.

The new framework was developed by 14 university scholars and education professionals and draws on experiences from both Ethiopia and other countries, according to the bureau.

Kiros said UNICEF allocated US$550,000 for the development of the curriculum framework. However, he said the bureau was able to utilise only around US$200,000 because of what he described as a "budget block" imposed by the federal government.

The funding constraints are now affecting the production of textbooks and other learning materials. Kiros warned that when teaching under the new framework begins in September 2019 in the Ethiopian calendar, schools will have only a limited number of textbooks available.

The shortage raises concerns over how effectively the new curriculum can be implemented in classrooms, particularly after years of disruption to education across Tigray.

Kiros said the revision was necessary not only because of the age of the previous framework but also because of the changes in society and technology since it was introduced.

He highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence as one reason for developing a curriculum that reflects contemporary realities and equips students with skills relevant to a rapidly changing world.

The framework adopts a competency-based approach, placing greater emphasis on the ability of students to apply knowledge, solve problems and develop practical skills rather than relying primarily on memorisation.

It also incorporates elements drawn from international educational experiences. According to the official, the framework draws lessons on ethics from Asian countries and incorporates concepts related to balance and accountability from Nordic and Northern and Western European education systems.

At the same time, the bureau said the framework incorporates indigenous content and seeks to preserve local knowledge and values alongside modern educational approaches.

Teacher Gebremeskel Gebre-Hiwot, a curriculum expert at the bureau, said the new framework introduces Ethics (Gibire Geb) as a new subject for primary school students.

The framework also changes the grade at which Amharic is introduced. Amharic, which was previously taught beginning in Grade 3, will now be introduced from Grade 7, according to the bureau.

The changes are part of a broader restructuring of the curriculum intended to align subjects and learning outcomes with the new framework.

Teacher Kahsay Hadera, a training specialist at the Education Bureau, said the new curriculum is intended to contribute to improving educational quality. Training for teachers on the new framework is already underway, he said.

The bureau has yet to indicate how many teachers will need to be trained before the framework is fully implemented or whether all schools will have the necessary resources and personnel when the new academic year begins.

The launch comes as Tigray's education system continues to recover from the destruction and disruption caused by the war.

Schools and other educational facilities were damaged or destroyed during the Tigray war, while students and teachers experienced prolonged interruptions to learning. The region has also faced shortages of educational materials and other resources during the post-war recovery period.

The bureau's admission that only a limited number of textbooks will be available when the new curriculum takes effect adds another challenge to implementation.

The curriculum framework establishes four levels of general education: pre-primary education for children aged five and six; primary education covering Grades 1-6; middle education for Grades 7 and 8; and secondary education covering Grades 9-12.

At secondary level, students will be able to pursue natural and social science streams or select from eight vocational and technical pathways, including agriculture, information technology, business and the arts.

The framework also emphasises teacher professional development, updated learning materials and continuous classroom assessment.

The bureau said the development of the framework involved collaboration with higher education institutions, including Mekelle University, as well as support from international partners.

However, the funding constraints highlighted by Kiros raise questions about whether the broader resources required for implementation will be available.

For a region whose education system has already lost years to war, the success of the new framework will ultimately depend not only on the quality of the curriculum but also on whether schools have the teachers, textbooks, facilities and funding needed to put it into practice. AS

Read the original article on Addis Standard.