Parliament Rewrites the Rules of Learning

Teachers, principals and school supervisors across the country will need to receive a year-long training, coupled with a requirement to renew their licenses every two years. Private schools are tasked with covering the training costs for their staff, with federal legislators arguing that professional development should be a shared responsibility rather than solely a public-sector burden.

Officials maintain that measures in tighter licensing, restructured curriculum, and updated regulations will enhance both the integrity and efficacy of Ethiopia’s education system. A new law rules that children will begin pre-kindergarten at age four, and first grade will start at seven, though there is flexibility for rural areas where families often face logistical limitations. Students are now required to achieve a minimum of 50pc in every subject to advance to the next grade. Federal authorities believe this benchmark will encourage deeper learning rather than rote memorization.

Parliament approved the bill on general education today, with two objections and 10 MPs abstaining. However, advocates of the revised law say it will broaden classroom access, upgrade educational standards, and better protect teachers’ rights. The law consolidates previous legislation into a single framework, including language instruction.

Mother tongue is set as the principal language in early education, while English is formally introduced in ninth grade, though regional state authorities retain the option to bring it in earlier. The law mandates that students take at least three languages throughout their primary and secondary education. One should be a federal working language, compulsory from third to 10th grade, while the second is English, made mandatory from first grade onward. The third language will be determined in consultation with students and families, but the ultimate choice remains under the purview of regional administrations.

Changes to the curriculum are also on the table. In middle school, science subjects such as Physics, Biology, and Chemistry will be merged into a single General Science course. Secondary schools will integrate vocational and practical subjects to equip students with skills for a rapidly evolving workforce.

Authors of the bill argue that these reforms address a long-standing gap between theoretical instruction and applied learning.

The law extends to the private and international school sector as well. The latter can retain their own curricula but are barred from receiving more than 30pc of their funding from their home governments. The law additionally imposes strict limitations on who may teach or establish a school. Individuals with criminal records, including those related to sexual abuse or declared bankruptcy, will be prohibited from opening or operating any educational institution.

In a nod to the digital future, policymakers assert the new law will facilitate the integration of technology in classrooms across the country. The Ministry of Education (MoE) is tasked with monitoring compliance, marking a more centralised and standardised approach to oversight.