Millions of Children in Northern Ethiopia Still Out of School

By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter 

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia-More than two years after the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement, the lingering effects of war continue to weigh heavily on Ethiopia’s northern regions—nowhere more so than in the lives of school-age children.

In Tigray, education authorities say around 1.2 million children and adolescents have not returned to school. Although a fragile peace has allowed some semblance of normalcy to return, the region remains deeply scarred by years of conflict, displacement, and economic hardship. For many families, the classroom is still out of reach.

Dr. Kiros Gu’ush, Head of the Tigray Regional Education Bureau, told DW that 2.5 million students were expected to be back in school this academic year. Yet, fewer than 1.3 million have re-enrolled. He attributed the gap to the widespread destruction of schools, persistent displacement, and the enduring trauma of war.

“More than 1.2 million children are still out of school,” said Dr. Kiros, pointing to the slow implementation of the peace deal and ongoing humanitarian needs as key factors.

In nearby Amhara, the picture is similarly bleak. The regional education bureau recently revealed that out of an anticipated 7 million students, only 2.3 million have returned to school. Over 400,000 registered students have not yet reported to their respective schools, and more than 4 million children remain unregistered entirely.

Speaking at a review meeting in Kombolcha, Deputy Bureau Head Eyerus Mengistu cited “security challenges” as a major factor behind the disruptions. Only 13.4% of schools in the region currently meet basic standards in infrastructure and educational quality, she added.

The Amhara region continues to reel from an ongoing armed conflict between federal forces and Fano militias, a confrontation that has resulted in civilian deaths, widespread school shutdowns, and major disruptions to the delivery of humanitarian aid.

At a recent advocacy workshop hosted by the Forum for Higher Education Institutions in the Amhara Region, experts highlighted the staggering toll of the crisis: 4.7 million children are currently out of school, and over 6 million people in the region are in urgent need of food support.

As conflict, instability, and poverty continue to keep millions of children from the classroom, education experts warn of a deepening crisis—one that could threaten the region’s future for generations to come.

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