Arba Minch University has started a 3-day comprehensive orientation to its academic and administrative staff simultaneously across all campuses from 8th to 10th October, 2018, on newly proposed National Educational Development Roadmap developed by Ministry of Education.
Dr Damtew Darza orienting academic staff at Main Campus Auditorium said the prime motif behind this roadmap that asks for overhauling in education and training policy in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals is to introspect, assess and peruse what Ethiopia has achieved in the span of last 24 years.
He adds this potential document is available to experts, professionals, academicians and all sections of society to contribute in evolving a system that will enhance quality of education in building new Ethiopia wherein competence will be paramount.
Recurring lacunas in education and training that imply fundamental change leading to the formation of new education roadmap by stakeholders of education sector in a meeting held in Addis Ababa. Therefore, to ensure overall economic development, quality in education and training policy is an imperative that will help in achieving financial prosperity and establishing peaceful coexistence in society.
Dr Damtew, exhorting academic staff, said, you all must keenly get acquainted with this document that holistically talks about primary, secondary and tertiary level of education across the nation. It has three crucial components i.e. ‘Initial historical development of Ethiopian education’, ‘problems, challenges and solutions for higher education’, TEVTs, secondary & primary education’s scenario, etc.
He informed that in this regard, AMU has formed 40 groups, of which Main Campus has 12, Abaya 6, Kulfo 6, Chamo 6, Nech Sar 6 and Sawla Campus 4; these designated groups will be perusing it and issue comments.
This document entails study of challenging issues such as curriculum, management, leadership, finance, etc.; for TEVTs, study of problems, solutions, and suggestions is must; while general education needs complete overhaul that includes pre-primary, primary, secondary level. In the subsequent days, the participants will also be looking into AMU’s last year achievement and new-year Plan; training is also planned for the new entrants.
Meanwhile, on October 5, 2018 Dr Damtew had hosted a daylong meeting of aforesaid groups and appraised them with the content of roadmap document. He informed that as per the roadmap document at secondary and primary level, 6th and 12th Grade will be Regional and National Examination respectively not 10th Grade.
After the endorsement of roadmap document, he said there will be curriculum modification, major shift in content of preparatory education and duration of UG degree in all streams except engineering and medicine that has 5 and 6 years duration respectively will be 4 instead of 3 years. Apart from orienting university, orientations will also be held for community along with zonal education bureaus, he quipped.
Water Technology Institute’s Scientific Director, Dr Abdella Kemal, imparting training along with Dr Damtew said one of the greatest problems of higher education is poor infrastructure and logistics; we have to work hard in this direction. The true predictor of development is substantial participation of females wherein we lag behind; therefore he adds we must take this as urgent assignment to achieve equity.
Vice presidents, Dr Yechale Kebede, Dr Simon Shibru and Dr Melkamu Mada officiated trainings at Kulfo, Abaya and Chamo campuses. Institute of Technology Scientific Director, Dr Alemayehu Chufamo, oriented administrative staff at Main Campus while respective deans steered trainings in other campuses.