On the 3rd of October 2024, the World Teachers’ Day, the Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU) delegation, participating in the International Forum of UNESCO Chairs and Partners “Transforming Knowledge for Africa’s Future” (30.09-01.10.2024, Ethiopia), visited a State Meskerem Secondary School in Addis Ababa, an educational institution for students of 9-12 grades. The School’s Principal Mr Sisay Alemu, introduced guests from Moscow to the Ethiopian system of school education that turned out to resemble the Russian one. At the end of the 10th and the 12th grades students have to take state exams. Unfortunately, the number of those who successfully pass the exams and therefore are permitted to continue to the higher level of education is much lower than the amount of school graduates. Almost all of them, on the contrary, immediately start working, students from the countryside may even not finish their secondary education. Ethiopian schoolchildren wear the school uniform, get free student books, have all the required stationery. There is, however, a serious lack of technical equipment and consumables in schools, especially in the countryside. Villages and smaller cities may have no kindergartens, while the pre-school education system in bigger cities is rather developed.
After the meeting with the Principal, the guests were introduced to the educational process. As part of the physics lesson, the director of the Institute of Physics, Technology, and Information Systems of MPGU Mr Sergey Lozorenko showed to the tenth graders the simplest physical tricks and demonstrated the principles of aerodynamics. At the English lesson, the Associate professor of the UNESCO Chair of MPGU Ms Marina Krivenkaya lectured the ninth graders on languages and alphabets (it is interesting to mention that the Amharic language, the official language of Ethiopia and mother tongue for most citizens, has its own unique alphabet). Dean of the Faculty of Regional Studies and Ethnocultural Education of MPGU Ms Elena Omelchenko told students about Russia and the country’s traditions, culture, and curiosities. The teachers from Ethiopia, in their turn, showed the guests the school stadium, classrooms, and laboratories. It was apparent that the school staff puts much effort not to allow costs and obvious lack of infrastructure to slow down the educational process: for example, the practice of sharing equipment is widespread for the schools of one neighbourhood. Souvenirs, such as pens, pencils and stickers with the MPGU logo, as well as sweets with Alenka, bears and red caps, were given to students.
On the same day, the MPGU representatives visited the College of Education and Behavioral Studies at the University of Addis Ababa, where they had a meeting with the Dean Mr Yekoyealem Desi. The guests learned about the system of professional education and advanced training for teachers in Ethiopia. The number of men among teachers is still significantly higher than the number of women, the pedagogical education programmes last 4 years, and, starting from the 2nd year, future teachers are to choose their specialization in one of the two possible areas: science and mathematics, or social disciplines and languages. Teachers have obligatory internships (practical trainings) in schools; the country’s Center for Teaching Excellence is the basis for the National Competence Center, established by Ethiopian Ministry of Education. At the meeting, the MPGU delegation presented the structure of the education and teacher training system in Russia. Ethiopian colleagues noted the main problems that had been characteristic of Russia as well in the recent past: low prestige of the profession, employee turnover rate, low salaries in the sector, poorly developed school infrastructure. The meeting resulted in a preliminary agreement on launching a set of distance workshops for students on the history and culture of Russia, as well as – if that be desired by the Ethiopian side – a set of trainings for teachers. Other agreements included inviting colleagues from Ethiopia to participate in joint researches, joint publications, scientific and methodological events. Ethiopian colleagues showed particular interest in comparative researches on education, including those with grant support within the framework of international and regional North-South programmes.
The MPGU delegation is grateful to the management and teaching staff of the Meskerim Secondary School and the College of Education and Behavioral Studies of the University of Addis Ababa for their hospitality and the productive meetings. Our special thanks and appreciation are to Mr Solomon Belay Faris, the lecturer at the University of Addis Ababa and a representative of the Baha’i International Community, for his support of the MPGU UNESCO Chair initiative, as well as for organizing the delegation’s visits to the educational organizations in Addis Ababa.
Marina Krivenkaya, Elena Omelchenko
