It is well known that education is the root
to civility, maturity, enlightened discourse and reasoning,
respect for the views and traditions of others. Education is also
concerned with the fervor to solve diligently the problems of a
country and contribute both with delight and vigor toward the
progress and developmental efforts in the political, social,
economic and technological spheres. We do also know that the vast
majority of the people of Ethiopia due to the backward-looking,
diehard and oppressive systems of our culture and governance had
not been allowed to join both lower and/or higher schooling
institutions.
Generally, with the exception of the
relatively few schools located in the major provinces of the old
administrative areas of the Empire, the country had been deprived
of the fruits of knowledge. The education system was limited to
the introduction of general knowledge of world history and
geography and few academic subjects without taking into
consideration the reality of the peasant life. And this was in a
country where more than 85% of the population was believed to live
on small plots of farmland and serfdom. The millennia system of
one plough for cutting furrows in the hard soil with two oxen and
no fertilizer was and still is the mode of life for the majority
living in the country. These marginalized and destitute peoples
have not had access to schools.
Knowledge means freedom in loosening the
shackles of illiteracy and ignorance. Knowing that education is
the key to development, massive investments have been carried out
by the incumbent government so that the education reaches as many
children as possible. The UNDP report on human development index
shows that the public expenditure on education has markedly
increased with net primary enrolment increasing from 23% in
1990/91 to 51% in 2002/03. As the recent reports from the
representatives of the different regions show, the primary school
attendance has climbed up to more than 80%. Although some children
due to the inaccessibility of remote schools or the straitened
circumstances and grueling task of helping their parents in
everyday life, the prior objective and plan of the government of
reaching out to isolated villages and pastoral areas is
encouraging.
The incontrovertible facts about the
expansion of universities and colleges throughout the country are
there to witness for anybody. From one or two universities at
most, Ethiopia in a relatively short time has launched a program
to raise and upgrade the institutions of higher learning by more
than ten-fold. The numerous technical, vocational and training
schools and colleges to provide skills to both public and private
ventures or generate entrepreneurial talent in individuals or
groups is also a potential asset worth asserting in the global
world of competition and proficiency. However, with the
ever-increasing flow of students, a set of quality assurances and
controls should be put in place in order to heap the fruits of
investments into real achievements from a democratic and educated
citizenry. First of all, the rights and obligations as stipulated
in the Ethiopian Constitution have to be elaborately given in
every class, unit, division, institution, etc. so that no
misinterpretation or confusion is allowed to afflict the
ill-informed or insincere person. Secondly, this education should
equip individuals to defend both their rights and the rights of
their fellow members of society and serve as guardians of the
Constitution and thus shoulder and secure the democratic
establishment of the country.
The Constitution, which is the result of the
struggle and sacrifice of the peoples of Ethiopia, should be
inculcated in every person’s mind so that any adventurous and
extremist group could not manipulate to set up an authoritarian
regime. Both Hitler and Mussolini were able to use the democratic
elections to create Nazism and fascist states in Europe.
Therefore, vigilance and provisions concerning the laws and
regulations should be on place for parties to participate and
contend in democratic elections. One cannot allow anti-peace and
anti-democratic forces to spread their hate and divisive
propaganda in the name of democracy. The CUD marked by its
tumultuous passions and its newly created terrorist group AFD (a
collection of sectarians, secessionists and Islamic movements,
etc.) are inciting some naïve and easily deceived students to act
as gangsters at some university campuses in the country. These
students, who fall victims to the wiles of these unscrupulous
groups and being intoxicated by virulent hatred, have shown their
barbarity by hitting and injuring their fellow students and in
some cases by interrupting the TLA (teaching and learning
activity) for some weeks.
People do understand when a student body in
unison and as the tradition of the Ethiopian student movement also
shows that a protest was/is usually called for the betterment of
the society or against any harsh treatments by the authorities. We
cannot recall times of agony, disturbances, violence, clashes or
killings among students and especially those attending higher
institutions of the country. We think that students should be
amenable to debate, explanation, rule of law, facts, negotiations,
reasons, etc. instead of going wild and act in an uncivilized and
wicked manner. If some of them are tired or uninterested to pursue
their studies, then they have to be relieved from such duty so
that the chance is given to those who really hanker after
education. This type of hooliganism arouses indignation of all
descent students and can neither serve as inspiration nor model
for the coming generation of the students. Therefore, a firm line
has to be taken over this kind of events so that education
continues regularly for the benefit of all.
Editorial
Ethiopian Observer
September
12, 2006
