Oromia State Education Bureau is highly focusing on lower grade education with qualified teachers.
Improving education in recent decades has been a central part of development strategies around the world. Researches show that putting more individuals in the education system could not yield quality and overall development. Rather focus should be given on improving quality in education with the assumption that quality education is a catalyst for national development.
According to UNICEF report, a well educated population can contribute to a reduction of generational cycles of poverty by laying foundation for development. Education is an essential condition for sustainable development in any society as it equips children with the knowledge and skills they need in order to adopt healthy lifestyles and play active roles in social, economic, and political streams. It also enhances gender equality and promotes citizens’ decision-making capacity. However, poor quality, according to the report, is equivalent to no education at all.
The implication of the declining quality of education at all levels has far reaching negative impacts on nation’s moral, civic, cultural and economic sustainability. Based on this, the importance of education cannot be understated instead must be attended to making sure that education generates meaningful learning and cognitive skills within students.
However, education cannot cause sustainable development single-handedly. It is a contributing factor among several important elements that need to be addressed in order to achieve higher socio-economic development.
Despite the fact that education is widely accepted as a means to socio-economic development, the debate continues about quantity versus quality- how to define and ensure quality, how to measure progress, and how to integrate quality education into different contexts at various levels in many countries including Ethiopia.
Education, being a major investment in human capital development, it plays a critical role in long-term productivity and growth at both micro and macro levels. This explains why the state of education continues to be national discourse at all levels.
It is due to this fact that the government of Ethiopia is refocusing to quality education both at the federal and regional levels concurrent to accessing quality education to all. Indeed, the nation has now achieved accessibility at all levels with an amazing performance. But there are still ongoing debates on the quality of education.
Related to this fact, Oromia Education Bureau recently held consultative meeting with stakeholders on this same issue. As it is reported during the meeting, the State is undertaking various efforts to bring about education quality in the State.
Head of Oromia Education Bureau Dr. Tola Barisso highlighted in the meeting that education quality is practically witnessed in the State after putting teachers and experts in the stream to fully focus on the instructional process alone.
He further said focusing on education is the only way out to addressing quality education demand of over 10 million school children and more than 200, 000 teachers of the state. Moreover, he underscored the improvement on quality standard of schools is showing remarkable progress at the moment in all areas across the State.
Quality circle education manual is developed in the State that is yielding better fruits and getting acceptance by pertinent stakes of the stream such as teachers, students and schools leaders.
State’s education performance was evaluated and proved to be moving towards the right track over the last six months of the budget year. Dr Tola highlighted.
He further said that teachers’ incentives such as housing, fast carrier and promotion, transfer rights, and professional quests need to be answered as much as possble. Furthermore, adults’ practical and inclusive educations are areas that are not yet addressed to the level expected which also require critical consideration in the future.
Ambo Administration Education Office Head Bekele Duressa also stated on his part that the Town has now effectively restored peace by closely working with students, teachers, parents, elders and the community in the town as peace is the primary issue for harmonious coexistence.
The Town had been going through the worst peace situation in earlier years. He added consensus had been reached at by all members of the community to keep the peace of their surrounding community and their schools. Hence, he stressed “Schools are not political platforms and any quests of governance beyond the teaching learning process needs be presented in a democratic and legal manner to the responsible government bodies outside schools.”
Education Office Head of Bishoftu Town Administration Eshetu Leggesse on his part stressed that there is a remarkable progress in the education stream in his town and in the State in general in quality education as the surrounding community and investors in the area are working jointly.
As part of improving education quality in the Town, he said “we are finalizing the construction of 12 standard schools that are conducive for the teaching learning process under the close partnership with government, parents and the community.”
Furthermore Eshetu said adding that using the consultation and advice of retired teachers’ and working closely with parents, students, investors in the area and all pertinent bodies to achieve the highest quality in education in the town is practically yielding positive outcomes in the Town.