By Habtamu Kebede
The closure of the Department of Tigrigna Language, Literature and Folklore at Addis Ababa University is a contentious issue, as the reasoning behind it remains unclear. The Ethiopian Insider article attempts to provide an explanation, but it is not only unconvincing, but also absurd. This is particularly concerning given the current state of the country, which has been embroiled in war since Abiy Ahmed took office.
The impact of this conflict on the education system cannot be ignored, as schools have not only struggled to produce competent students, but have also been destroyed beyond repair. As a result, it is unreasonable to expect the Department of Tigrigna Language, Literature and Folklore to have a high enrollment rate. The argument presented in the article is riddled with fallacies and lacks credibility, and the decision to close the department is a disservice to Ethiopian society.
Instead of closing the department, they should have focused on providing adequate funding and educational materials to K-12 schools. This would have better prepared students for college-level education. Unfortunately, the focus was not on investing in the future generation’s education. Instead, it was on luxurious lodges and unnecessary corridor projects.
Education is not a privilege, it is a human right. All school-age children, adolescents, and young adults should have access to education in their chosen discipline. Furthermore, closing the only school available for students who speak the language during a time when people are recovering from a devastating and senseless war is not only traumatizing, but it also sends a harmful and dangerous message to the affected communities.
It is not entirely unreasonable to speculate about the motives behind this decision. As is well known, schools are places where students learn about a variety of subjects and develop a lifelong understanding. In this particular case, if a student moves from Tigray to attend the Department of Tigrigna Language, Literature and Folklore at Addis Ababa University, they will likely have the opportunity to interact with the local community and students from diverse backgrounds. This interaction has the potential to leave a lasting positive impact on future generations.
It is unclear if the government is intentionally using the education system to promote division and harm within society, potentially weakening the social fabric of the nation. This decision is concerning and we must all be equally alarmed by its damaging effects. It is crucial that we unite and voice our concerns, making it clear to those in power that their harmful actions must be stopped. Let us unite and protest against these destructive decision.
It is recently reported that only about 6% of those who took the national exam have managed to get a passing grade. That is out of more than 684 thousand who sat for the exam. I just read an opinion on one of private news outlets still operating inside that country, This is an excellent constructive criticism and such opinions must be encouraged and commended. College entrance exams are said to be very taxing to pass and in many countries pose nightmares to those preparing for the exams. In well developed countries like those in Asia such exams bring a season of suicides by many who failed. But only 5.4% is too extreme. It is a failure by everyone. Parents, teachers, officials for the most part those bigots and connivers who successfully diverted the attention of the gullible youth from learning math and science to mastering how to handle deadly guns. These demons are leading the tender age youth away from schools to their joints in the bushes. That country has been going thru such nightmare since the 1960’s.
Weren’t truants made legends then and to this day? They were encouraged by those who go to schools outside the country. While those outside the country were amassing BA’s, Masters and PhD’s in Europe and America but they were commending their ‘comrades’ going to the only university inside the country to go AWOL making the junior year as their final year. I remember what one of those connivers in Europe once told me about one of those gullible college students. He told me in late 1960’s about how one of them was ‘a committed revolutionary that he has been a 3rd year student since 1965’. They died in the most gruesome ways still as 3rd year college students. There were thousands like them who shunned high school leaving exams who were sent to their gallows by the demon Mengistu. But those outside the country were piling up college degrees like sought after collectibles. It is the same deal now. You can see it. The leaders of those who preach violence from safe rabbit holes in the bushes both in Oromia and Amhara regions hold BA’s and MA’s. They know very well that an educated youth is a tough cookie to swindle. They target and ransack schools, the holy grail of enlightenment. The leaders of the government share the blame for their inability to maintain peace, security and stability that country has been denied since 1974.