Ethiopia’s education shake-up tests students and system alike

Meet Henok Samuel, an aspiring student with a dream. After years of dedication, he has earned top marks on Ethiopia’s national Grade 12 entrance exam and secured a place at Addis Ababa University’s School of Commerce. For Henok, this moment marks the beginning of a hopeful new chapter. But his story is far from typical. Of the 585,882 students who sat for Ethiopia’s national exam this year, only 8.4% — about 48,900 — scored above the passing grade and qualified for university, leaving more than 537,000 young people facing an uncertain future.

The Ministry of Education and other stakeholders have offered several explanations for the persistently low pass rates since Ethiopia’s new education system took effect. Introduced in the 2020/2021 academic year, the reform was designed to address long-standing structural weaknesses in the country’s education sector.

A key feature of this overhaul is the abolition of the Grade 10 national exam. In its place, a single, comprehensive Grade 12 University Entrance Exam now determines university eligibility, testing students on material covered throughout all four years of high school (Grades 9–12).

The curriculum has also been updated to include additional subjects focused on enhancing life skills and ICT integration, reflecting a push toward more practical and modern education. The objective is to produce graduates who are competitive both locally and internationally.

The new, strict exam invigilation style has revealed the true condition of Ethiopia’s education system

Professor Birhanu Nega, the Minister of Education, has addressed the issue by telling reporters that the percentage of high school students who qualify to join universities is low even in developed countries. He underlined the critical need to shift focus and attention toward Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs, as their graduates are in high demand in the job market.

“Students who work hard and perform well have said there hasn’t been a change in the exam questions' difficulty or content itself,” states Netsanet Tesfaye, an educator who tutors high school students. She and her colleagues provide supplementary lessons before and after class to 11th and 12th graders in both the natural and social science streams. Netsanet states that their goal is to empower students and tailor the education to their specific needs, so they can perform well in the national exam.

“The new, strict exam invigilation style has revealed the true condition of Ethiopia’s education system,” Micheal Tsegaye, a teacher and founder of Light Reading Academy, told Geeska. “It clearly shows which students have genuinely worked hard to succeed since cheating and unfair practices are now far more difficult. As a result, students who put in real effort are the ones passing their exams.”

Regarding attempts to standardize private and public schools, Micheal stated that this approach seems to be bringing private schools down to the level of public ones. He explained that this does not benefit students from either system and has actually lowered the overall quality of education.

When discussing the lower number of students passing the University entrance exam, Micheal elaborated that the main reasons are deep-rooted and connected to long-standing problems in Ethiopia’s education system. According to him, students have been part of a weak educational structure since their early years, starting from kindergarten. Because of this, they never built strong learning habits or solid academic foundations. When the new, stricter assessment system was introduced, it became very difficult for them to adjust or perform well.

This is a view shared by Minister Birhanu, who, in an interview on public TV, stated that there were numerous issues with the old education system, and the reforms are trying to address multifaceted problems, such as low student performance and widespread cheating.

Many students and even members of society have started to see education as unnecessary or irrelevant to success

The Minister emphasized that even at the university level, administering an exit exam is essential because the previous educational pathway students were on was not satisfactory, indicating that many graduates may not possess the requisite knowledge or skills.

Another issue Michael highlighted is a pervasive negative attitude toward education. “Many students and even members of society have started to see education as unnecessary or irrelevant to success,” he said. “When students grow up hearing that education doesn’t matter, they lose motivation to work hard. This negative mindset has contributed to the decline in performance,” he further added.

Micheal believes the education system in Ethiopia was in great need of reform, so the fact that change is finally taking place is a positive step. He stated that this shows stakeholders are recognizing the problems and actively trying to find solutions. He also pointed out that the reform has created more conversation and awareness around the quality of education and the need to modernize it.

In addition to the benefits, Michael listed several significant challenges to the new system. These include the lack of qualified professionals, as certain aspects of the reform require skilled and committed professionals, which the education sector currently lacks. “The issue is not just about having people with degrees, but having individuals who are truly capable and willing to do the work effectively,” he said.

Another challenge is the misalignment and abrupt changes. The curriculum and policies are often not well aligned with students’ needs or the demands of the job market. Frequent and abrupt policy changes make it hard for schools to adapt, and the content sometimes feels narrow or outdated.

A third challenge, Michael noted, lies in the disruption of the stability essential for learning. Ongoing political unrest, conflict, and regional school closures have limited access to education and made consistent reform implementation across the country nearly impossible.

In recent weeks, a social media campaign organized by a few young professionals has emerged, demanding that the Ministry of Education decrease the university entrance passing mark below 50%. Their reasoning is that the exam doesn't adequately take into consideration the different educational paths the students have been on and the many challenges they face.

While the petition, signed by more than three thousand individuals, had significant support, some oppose the initiative and have started their own petition on LinkedIn, asking for the pass mark to remain at 50%.

The core argument of those who advocate for a lower passing mark is equity and context, noting that a single standard is unfair given the varying quality of instruction and hardship students endure across different regions. Conversely, those who oppose lowering the mark argue that excellence and quality shouldn't be compromised by admitting under-qualified students, stating that a national university entrance exam must maintain a consistent standard to ensure future graduates are competent.

Thus, as Ethiopia pushes forward with its education reform, the divide between optimism and concern continues to grow. While the government views the changes as necessary to restore integrity and raise standards, many teachers and parents see a system struggling to balance ambition with reality.

The low pass rates have exposed both the promise and the pain of transition, revealing how deeply education is tied to inequality, stability, and national progress. For students like Henok, the future now depends not only on personal effort but also on whether the reforms can deliver a system that rewards it.