Last week was a shocking revelation for parents who send their children to one of the 84 private schools barred from registering students for next year. Gibson School Systems, which serves over 10,000 students and employs more than 1,500 people, was listed among the banned institutions for non-compliance with the recently enacted curriculum. Over the past two decades, Gibson has made its mark in the education sector, but recently it has faced issues with authorities. Earlier this year, it was restricted for allegedly using English as a medium of instruction, causing students to register under other schools’ names for national exams.

Following the bar, Gibson’s management met with education authorities and city officials, chaired by Mayor Adanech Abiebe, and agreed to comply with regulations in exchange for having their accreditation reinstated.

"I’m writing to inform all parents of this positive development and to encourage you to support the city's direction and leadership,” stated Mohammed Aden, president and co-founder of Gibson, in a letter to parents.

With 802 of the capital’s 1,559 private schools up for renewal this year, the scale of the crackdown by the Addis Abeba Education & Training Quality Control Authority has caught many off guard.

Dagnaw Gebru, head of the Authority, said every institution must comply with national standards and education policies. He observes that the violations had become too egregious to ignore.

"We can't compromise students' future," Dagnaw said. "No one is above the law."

According to Dagnaw, sudden on-site inspections revealed schools violating the recently enacted curriculum, while regular inspections uncovered those failing to meet standards. The Authority oversees about 2,500 schools, including 400 technical and vocational trainers. By next month, Dagnaw expects to release the complete list of permitted schools for the next school year, currently standing at 1,332. He advised parents to register their children at certified nearby institutions, closely monitored by the Authority.

The educational reforms inspired by Scandinavian models are spearheaded by the Minister of Education, Brehanu Nega (Prof). The new reform enacted a couple of years ago includes radical changes such as removing the English language from kindergarten curricula. This philosophy of grounding education in the cultural and linguistic context of the students has sparked debate among parents, educators, and policymakers.

Some parents, unhappy with the revised curriculum, took matters into their own hands. Elda Ayalew sent her daughters to live with their father in Uganda after feeling that the curriculum reforms hindered their potential.

"The changes felt like downgrades, not progress," she told Fortune.

She was particularly taken aback by the requirement to use the mother tongue as the primary instruction medium in primary school, with English treated as just another subject. While missing quality time with her children, Elda believes their prospects will improve with another education system.

"I want my children to be able to speak international languages effortlessly," she said. "It should be a choice."

Her concerns also extend to the quality of textbooks.

"How can 'Baby' be a vocabulary word in an Amharic textbook?" she asked.

Experts have conflicting perspectives on the future of education. Jemal Mohammed (PhD), an education and labour market researcher, said curriculum reform must be tied to financial and infrastructure capabilities to bring quality changes. He recommends establishing minimum requirements for schools instead of drastic upheavals. Instead of banning schools, Jemal believes the focus should be on teachers' attention, technological inputs, and the scholastic environment.

He advocates incorporating English into the local curriculum instead of moving away from it, noting that many educated individuals struggle to convey their messages internationally due to language deficiencies.

"Communication skills are half of the educational package," Jemal said.

Alemayehu Teklemariam (PhD), a lecturer at Addis Abeba University, disagrees. He argued that fluency in English is mistaken for quality education, confusing parents and students.

"Skills that build livelihoods and peace should be the centre of education," Alemayehu said.

He believes the emphasis on quality education has lagged too long. Alemayehu said that schools wanting to continue teaching outside the curriculum could opt for international school accreditation, which has less regulatory oversight and more autonomy.