ABSTRACT

Primary school enrolment in Ethiopia has more than doubled over the past two decades. In spite of this impressive achievement, and as in many low- and middle-income countries that have experienced rapid expansion, the Ethiopian education system is characterised by a ‘learning crisis’ in which many children are leaving school without basic numeracy and literacy skills. In this paper, we explore the relationship between low learning levels and the features of an education system characterised by a sudden increase in learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, including ‘first generation learners’, or students whose parents have never been to school. Using unique longitudinal school survey data, we examine whether first-generation learner status represents an additional layer of disadvantage in the Ethiopian education system; the relationship between first-generation learner status and learning outcomes; and the educational trajectories of first generational learners through primary school. Based on these findings, we consider the implications of a rising tide of access for Ethiopia as it seeks to provide equitable, quality education for all by 2030.

摘要

在过去的二十年中，埃塞俄比亚的小学入学率增加了一倍以上。尽管取得了令人瞩目的成就，而且在许多中低收入国家都经历了迅速的发展，但埃塞俄比亚的教育系统还是以“学习危机”为特征，许多儿童在离开学校时都没有基本的算术和识字技能。在本文中，我们探讨了学习水平低与教育系统功能之间的关系，该系统的特点是来自“第一代学习者”或父母从未去过学校的弱势群体的学习者突然增多。使用独特的纵向学校调查数据，我们检查了第一代学习者的身份是否代表了埃塞俄比亚教育体系中的另一层劣势；第一代学习者状态与学习成果之间的关系；以及第一代学习者通过小学的教育轨迹。基于这些发现，我们考虑到埃塞俄比亚日益普及的趋势所带来的影响，因为埃塞俄比亚力争到2030年为所有人提供公平，优质的教育。