Key Takeaways:
Despite their ownership status, schools in Addis Abeba will have to undergo a standardised continuous assessment system, a policy that has been in effect at public schools for some time now.
Officials of the city's Education Bureau claim the sweeping regulation mandated last week seeks to resolve disparities in student evaluations caused by varying assessment methods. According to Deputy Bureau Head Dinaol Chala, the policy emerged from the need to address inconsistencies in the city's education system.
"The previous schooling system was not based on research findings," he told Fortune.
The new regulation, which affects over 2,000 schools and approximately 1.2 million students across Addis Abeba, represents an effort to reform and unify educational practices citywide.
Under the new regulation, assessments vary by grade. Students in grades one to four will have 90pc of their grades determined through continuous assessment, including homework, quizzes, class participation, and practical activities, with final exams making up just 10pc. Grades five and six face an 80pc similar assessment, adding project work to their requirements. For grades six through eight, 40pc will come from continuous assessment, 20pc from midterms, and 40pc from final exams. Grades nine to 11 follow a similar structure with minor ratio differences. Grade 12 students' final exams will count for half their grades, with the balance from assessments and midterms.
The Bureau mandates that schools include full-semester content in final exams and adhere strictly to an official assessment schedule. Teachers are required to ensure that first graders can identify letters and perform basic mathematics. All students should complete four tests each semester, limited to five questions each for grades below four.
The policy also emphasises practical work, requiring sports activities, internships, interviews, or laboratory exercises across all grade levels. Grades six through 12 are expected to participate in fieldwork, involving at least one visit a semester, followed by student reports. The officials expect immediate feedback on all assessments, hoping to see enhanced learning outcomes and student creativity.
Experts generally favour the new system, arguing it promotes group work and active learning. However, the sudden shift presented considerable logistical challenges for schools facing resource constraints.
Benti Refisa, vice principal of Abune Basliyos Secondary School, fear the acute shortages in classrooms, labs, and library facilities will undermine the school's effort to comply with the new rules.
"The problem starts with budget shortages and the high cost of lab equipment," he told Fortune.
His school operates from a single building with 21 classrooms serving 1,248 students. Limited lab materials have been bought, but shortages persist.
Benti continues to worry about teachers' workloads. He fears that individualised assessments, mandatory under the new regulation, will burden his teachers, who already manage classrooms with an average of 60 students. The School's class promotion failure rate currently is four percent, revealing underlying resource struggles.
At Abiyot Fana Primary School, Zenebe Hailemariyam, a veteran grade eight Amharic teacher, endorsed individual assessments over large-scale exams. He argued that final exams alone fail to determine a student's competence level.
"I couldn't identify which student has a weaker or stronger side in language solely based on finals," he said.
However, individualised assessments could be demanding, with an average of 55 students in a class across four. Zenebe often resorted to reviewing students' exercise books during lunch and coffee breaks. He would want to see a reduction in the number of exams, stating that students already face three model exams a semester from the District and Wereda.
"There will be a higher workload," he said, arguing that fewer tests could reduce student fatigue and facilitate learning.
Others in the school system remain cautiously optimistic. Their primary concern, however, remains students' performance disparities between continuous assessments and citywide exams. Last year, only 58 percent of grade eight students at Yeka Primary School passed the national exam. The School serves 868 students in the current academic year, from kindergarten through grade eight, and is supported by 84 teachers.
Selamawit Getachew, the School's director, disclosed that it already trains teachers and establishes libraries for science, math, and language arts.
The swift enforcement drew criticism from Tekabe W. Kidan, a School of Tomorrow board member. He argued against sudden curriculum changes, stating the importance of a pilot phase to gauge impacts before widespread adoption.
"Even implementation has to start on a trial basis," he insisted. "Rushed policies could create lasting negative impacts."
Experts share the sentiments and echo these worries.
Fitsum Gebremichael, an educational policy expert and lecturer at Hawassa University, warned that continuous assessment, while useful in theory, risks undermining academic integrity. He blamed a history of academic dishonesty for weaker students' results when heavily dependent on group assessments.
"They can pass on the shoulder of others," Fitsum said.
He also challenged the regulation’s compatibility with Ethiopia’s realities. Citing Scandinavian models like Denmark, known for play-based and problem-solving learning, he argued that such systems require supportive environments, full parental involvement, and alternative assessment methods absent in Ethiopia.
"Copy-pasted policy does not take us anywhere," said Fitsum. "Practical knowledge should be built upon solid theoretical foundations."
A recent study conducted in the Yeka District uncovered gaps in the effective implementation of continuous assessment. The study found flaws in documentation, feedback, teacher-parent communications, and classroom review practices. It recommended infrastructure improvements, better follow-up mechanisms, and enhanced teacher training.
Despite the study's criticism and findings, Dinaol defended the immediate rollout, pledging rigorous monitoring of schools' adherence to the new standards.
"It should not continue business as usual," he insisted, doubling down on his Bureau's commitment to enforcing compliance through disciplinary actions for non-compliant schools.
Education Minister Berhanu Nega (Prof.) publicly acknowledged disparities between public and private schools. In an interview broadcast a few weeks ago by the federal government, the Minister blamed differences in school locations, infrastructure, teachers' quality, and inconsistent curricula for widening educational outcomes.
"It's shocking how much of an educational disparity there is in the country," Berhanu said.
Nonetheless, Fitsum contended that the assumption of inferior public schooling overlooks the complexities and strengths within the education sector. He argued against homogenising education, cautioning that policies should be tailored to schools' specific contexts to avoid inadvertently weakening competitive academic environments. He criticised the frequent curriculum changes driven by political imperatives or donor agendas, calling instead for reforms that elevate teaching quality.
"Teacher training also requires reform," he said. "Many enter the profession by default rather than having the interest or ability."
He believes a minimum of five years is necessary to evaluate any new curriculum’s effectiveness thoroughly.
PUBLISHED ON
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