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It is uncommon for the city administration to make decisions on educational curriculum and medium of instruction. In “democracies” it is a provincial jurisdiction.
The trend seems to be changing in Ethiopia, apparently due to what PM Abiy described as the federal government’s “babysitting” attitude and lack of accountability.
Addis Ababa City Administration on Wednesday passed a decision regarding school curriculum and medium of instruction in KG to senior high school levels. The decision is mostly related to language usage and seems to be, it is in fact noticeable that it is a reflection of political struggle, and an effort to address the recent controversy over identity politics in schools.
It is to be recalled that Adanech Abiebie’s administration, with apparent support from radical ethnic Oromo nationalist elements on the regional and federal levels of government structures, attempted to impose Oromia regional state anthem and flag on schools across Addis Ababa which met with resistance from students and teachers.
It called the new curriculum “diversity language curriculum.” The administration makes claims that the decision is based on a study that Kotebe Metropolitan University has been undertaking.
The administration is saying that enough consultation has been conducted on the research at the cabinet level and also with students and parents.
According to the new curriculum, the Amharic language is to be offered as a second language class to students in Addis Ababa whose mother tongue is Afan Oromo and to give Afan Oromo as a second language to students whose mother tongue is Amharic.
English is to be a medium of instruction for all subjects for grade seven and above students but they will continue to take local language classes too as a first and second language
Grade nine and 10 students are offered Arabic and French as alternative languages.
The kindergarten school starting age is set to 4.
Ethiopian Opposition political parties have not, at this writing, remarked on the decision from the Addis Ababa City Administration.
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When faced with mass protest the OLF/Orommuma evils, Abiy Ahmed/Adanech/Shimeles slowed down the sinister aggression against Addis Ababa School youths BUT only to buy time and come up with more sinister replanning for the next attack.
Abiy Ahmed and all the Orommuma evils are afraid of Addis Ababans because they cannot control their strength once they rise up against the Orommuma Apartheid tyrannical anti Ethiopia regime. Losing Addis Ababa is losing everything in Ethiopia and that is why they are shrinking Addis Ababa land from all corners so each administration will have power to squash any descents, terrorize, silence change the demography by replacing old Addis Abababs with new comer Orommumas.
So the biggest chance is now for Addis Ababans to show their power and demand for a real and tangible change of power!!
DO NOT Give the OLF/Orommuma anti-Addis Ababans, anti-Ethiopia to take another chance and breath that is definitely is lethal.
Never accept the usual lies and deceits, empty talks, empty promises, fake questers, rhetoric’s, blaming one another and never expect a quick fix because the Ormmuma plot is 80 old that will never be erased in few years. So stay your ground and fight back until last Orommuma is gone for good.
The new plot is dividing Addis Ababa into small city administrations in preparation to come one day and tell us it they are all part of Oromia and those who live their should be massacred and their property looted by OLF/PP/Shene Oromo Savages.
Then if that goes without resistance it will be easy to claim all Addis Ababa as Oromia Zone and those non-Oromos found living in Addis Ababa will be killed by OLF/PP right hand OLF/Shene barbarians. Then will keep going to every part of Ethiopia to continue and eradicate all non-Oromo Ethiopians.
If I have my wishes I would add Afar and Somali languages to the curriculum. Having Arabic in the curriculum as an elective is a smart move. I mentioned Afar and Somali languages because of the fact that both languages are spoken beyond the borders of that country more than Amharic and Oromiffa languages. Afar language is spoken in three countries(Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti) and Somali language is spoken in 4 countries(Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia). All these languages are drop dead beautiful languages. For someone having his comprehension trip across the ethnic line will equip him/her to fight and clear up ignorance, misinformation and prejudice about others he/she has been used to living together for centuries. Voice against existing and additions to curriculum exists everywhere. The trick is how well it is explained. Here in USA we have BOE’s(Board of Education) whose members are elected to the office by voters. They know their trade very well. They are eloquent in their presentations. In our case both Amharic and Oromiffa are spoken by the two pillars of that country and the language gap must be closed as soon as possible persuasively and peacefully. Peace y’all!!!!
Isn’t education the exclusive jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education? Isn’t it the Ministry of Education that was supposed to conduct education-related studies/researches and present it to the parliament for ratification? Aren’t Addis Ababa’s politicians over-stepping their job description boundaries?
Humble Opinion
The latest decision pertaining to LANGUAGE of EDUCATION in ETHIOPIA is way, way, way overdue.
For an ancient independent country, with its own WRITTEN language, the subject matter should have been taken way >> way >> way back in time. Ethiopia — the only country in Black Africa, with a WRITTEN language, to goof and made historical error
in ‘broad day light’. It will remain as historical error that can NEVER, NEVER, NEVER be excused. IT WILL REMAIN as [….fill the appropriate word, please ……… ] of Ethiopia.