Advancing Basic Education and Literacy

Phase 2

ABEL 2 BRIDGING ACTIVITY

DECENTRALIZATION STUDY for the

BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM OVERHAUL (BESO) in Ethiopia

Conducted by

T h e ABEL 2 Consortium

:ademy for Educational Development with

Creative Associates International, Inc.,

Educational Development Center,

Florida State University,

.rvard Insritute for International Development,

and Research Triangle Institute

Conducted for

Office of Field Support and Technical Assistance

Center for Human Capacity Development

Bureau for Global Programs, Field Research, and Support

U.S. Agency for International Development

Contract No. HNF,-5832-C-00-4075-00

PN-ABY-007

Best available copy -- pages 54 - 61 missing

Basic Education System Overhaul (BESO) DECENTRALIZATION STUDY

Reseadl on the Decartralizatloa of Bask Edoc~tion in ' Q ~ Y , EWoPi.

Submitted by Marc Sommers, PhD, Dtctxmakation Sptcialist

with Contniutions from the Decentralization Study Team: Ato Amarc Asgedom, Project Researcher (University of Addis Ababa)

Wezero Askale Gcbrc Egziabher rigray Education Bureau) Kinfe Abraha, Field Intemkwcr (Mekek Business Cokge) Taklay Tesfay, F ~ l d InteNicwtr (Mekelle Business College)

Fmde Ali, Enumerator (MtLelle Business College) Fwsaha A M Enumerator (Mekelle Businw College)

1 Thir project wo arried out by Rojecr ABEL of the Aademy for Eduatioarl Development (AED), as put of the bridging rtivitia for Project BESO. It was funded by the Agency for Intcnutiond Dmlopmcnt (USAID). Specirl apprrdrtioa is due to Ato Gcbn W b b e r Ttdrhua .ad all contributing m e w of the Tvy Eduatioa Bureau, USlD-Etbqth, mad the O f l i d Suctaicublc lkdopcat. Bureau for Afria. USAID, for their pncmus support a d rrrirunrr.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 Testing r New Apprc#eh to the Problem of Decentrdhtion A Deline8fingDMerencts-----

B. Connecting Problcme to Systrm Reform - 3. Objectives m

- 4 Mdbodok~gy-

A Overview ofRcs#rcb Activities a

B. ThreeGuidiagPrindplesa

IZ. Focus on Schods and Wonhrr

PAGE: - 1

. D The Workshop Dnmrs ...........-....... ......................... .. .......................... 21 .

....... The Book Distdution Lkbate ..... .. ...,.......... ........ .... .... .... .. ........ ..... 22

.. Two "Bask Viim" ....................... ... ..... ...................-.....-..... " 23

Rccommen&Uom .........-,...-.., ......... ..,-.....--.,- 24

A Advaodng the Dcantr8liz8tion P n m s s . . 24

B . Rumumdatiom from tk Resevch Oatput -.....,-...... ..-.--.. 26

C. Worleb~p WPPB m 29

Annexes:

A . Work Schedule ..................................................................................................... B . Research Questionaaim ....................................................................................... C . F i Workshop program ......................................................................................

D . Access and Equity . Summary (by Taklay Tesfay and Faede Ali) ...................... E . Access and Equity . Final Report (by Taklay Tesfay and Fnede Ali) .................. F . Quality . Summary (by Kinfe Abraha and Fessaha Abadi) ............................. " .... G . Quality . Final Report (by Kide Abraha and Fessaha Abadi) ............................... H . Perceived Problems . F d Repart (by Ato A m Asgcdan) .......... " ...... ".-....... I . Wortda Activities . Final Report (by Ato Amare Asgedom) ...............................

J . Problems Related to Radio Education . Final Report (by At0 Amare Asgedom) ........................................................................ .

K Problans Related to Padogogical Centers . F d Report (by Wezero Askale Gebre Agziabher) .....................................................

L m- Owat ions @y Taklay Tesfay. and Kinfe A m ) ............................

M . The Minutes ( S d t s ) of the Workshops ........................................................ N . Book Distribution Workshop Documents .................................................... .. ........ 0 . Thc Two Basic Visions .........................................................................................

P . The F i Workshop C o n m u s ...................................................................... .. ....

Four yesus ago, in the aftexmath of a debilitating civil war, Ethiopians began to rebuild their country. In Tigray, as in other regions of the countq, this included the rehabilitation and re-opening of schools that had been bombed or looted during the war. New curriculums also had to be developed to reflect the changed landscape of the war-tom nation.

Guided in large part by the dual principles of decentralization and regiwalization, essential public instioutions had to be mqanncd, and the education system became a critical feature of this new government initiative. Accordingly, in September, 19W, in its "Education Sector Strategy", the Transitional Government of Ethiopia announced a dramatic break from the legacy of cenualized education:

The administration of elementary and secondary education and eaining shall be dcccnualizcd in line with the ongoing regicdimion process. Schools will be saongly linked with the community which will take rwponsibility in i'ts well-being and upkeep. 'Ihey will be made to be mqmaive to the local needs and raquiments and shall act as centers for all educational activities of the community. The management of e a ~ h school will be democratized and nm with the pdcipntion of the community, the teachas, the students and the relevant govumnent institutions. In as much as possible educational institutions. .. will be encouraged to run on an autonomous basis. [pp. 16- 17

Behind this bold declaration, however, the details for how a deceanalized tducatiQnat systan should become opaationalized remain uqedfkd. Although it is intended to allow for regional differentiation, tbe lack of clarity a h contains the seeds for confusion within regional education systans, since it combines ideas for regionaliml administration with democratid, participatcxy, even "autonomous" school managanart. For how should the new regionalized "cm~ta" adminhm to suddenly "autonomous" ~ o o l s ?

The umwolved n a m of the declaration has had r q c m m h s within the regional education system of T~gray, where at least two scpatc conceptions of a deoeatmIizcd education system have arisen. One has emphasized a dcccnualized education system that remains "in line with the ongoing regionalhaion process". This conception implies that the systan should be opesatiodized by using recently articulated concepts of regionalized authority as guides. Schoob will be accorded some authority, but the regionalized form of on is currently guiding the developat of tBe post-war education system.

Yet outside Mekclle, the capital of Tigray Region, same citizeaa hold a diffezcot conception of darnrralized education. Policies papularized by the Tigrayan Peoples Libemion Front 0 duxing the long civil war have enabled ordinmy citizens to ex- their views in open forum. The tradition of "Gan-Gum" not only allows for previously mpmxxhted public criticism of powerful figures, but it can also encourage direct particijmtion by individuals in making decisions that affect their communities. Acoxdhgly, amcepts that hold that schools should be "danoaati2ed" and nm both "with participation of the coanmunity" and "on m auumomous basis" have cultivated a belief among nome Tigrayans that commMities should have an iDaeased amount of inpn in school managemart in postwar Tigray.

Thus, although the 'huitiooal Govmmmt of Ethiopia's desire to decentralize ducation has been popular in Tigray Region, it hs summami different camptiom of whet a ~~ education system should look like, and then how it should be impicmcnted. And though Tigrayam collectively sham a remarkably strong desire to increase access to schools and enhance educational quality, the Decentdimion Study Team's field fcsmch and orgmhd cops have revealed how members of the public, and officials within the cxludonal qstan, have ya to arrive at a cxmenms over how responsibility and authority be- school communities and tbe thF# levels of the newly regiodized education system should be shared.

This report examines the context and contom of this ongoing debate.

BESO Dcccnwalization Study in T~gray Regioa: Final Report

2. Testing a New Appmcb to the Problem of Decentralization

A Delineating Differences

Because of the ongoing debate ova the conception and implementation of a dccenualizcd educational system for Tigray Region, a more uaditional r#iearch approach to decentralization was determined to be inappropriate, and potentially even counter-productive. Prematurely creating, for example, an ideal system for local educators who have yet to agree on the roles and responsibilities that should be accorded to each system level could furtha empower the existing Regional 'center", and perhaps even pre-empt the resolution of this critically important discussion.

It is in this context that a new approach to the problem of decentdizing an educational system was conceived2 Instead of caaductbg field Fwearch, analyzing data, and producing a report in sequence, field mearch was carried out in each of the four main Zones which comprise Tigray Region, analyzed immediately, and then presented in workshops. Instead of specifying the roles and responsibilities for an educationat system, this rwuach appro& used findings on critical educational problems, and how they an cumfitly being addressed, to facilitate workshop discussions on how members of the educational system believe their system, and its aetendant roles and responsibilities, could be reformed. Instead of focusing on how the educMioaal system should opgate, this research approach focusad upon the cumnt situation of the schools, and then asked local educators to suggest reforms to improve the system's support of their schools. Fiaally, in orda to promote the belief that good local information facilitates good local decision-making, instead of writing a fmal report for a select audience of educationalists, great effort has been made to makc the research data, analyh, and repom accessible to local members of the education system, by maintaining a simple, direct approach to the study of problems and solutions, distributing translated copies of research data, analysis and reports acms Tigray, and conducting workshop discussions in ~ i ~ r i n ~ a '

B. Comeding Problems to System Reform

The Tigrayan educational system is ramen* in a state of flux. Experimentation is a method that local govenaing institutions use to test new refoxms. Ihe n u m b of local administration (sub-district) bodies, called Wotedar, is in the proem of being reduced from 81 to 35, but not before more modaate reductions (first 70, then 79) were cansided fir& 'Ihe Regional Education Bureau is currently considaing how to concentrate more education officers at fewa Worcdas, while at the same time determining how the overall administrative role of the Wondas will be enlarged.

Given the evolving naam of the education system, the decision was made at the outset to utilize an open- ended, problem-solving approach, designed to faciliaue communication between all system levels while critical reforms arc being cans- Applying a themtically complae system plan, particularly at this stage of its evolution, might prove to be problematic, because it could create a system for education professionals who are still debating the fundamental issues that lay beneath it

Thus, in order to illumbtc areas of g e n d agreement among all manbas of the education system, as well as emphasize shared purpows ova braeaucrstic separations, problem-solving became a critical element in the new approach. Problem at the school became the focus of the research, and searching for solutions became the focus of the workshops. In this way, areas of genaal agreement as well as fundamental divisions, were delineated. This approach has thus identified where the strengths and weaknesses in the system lie. M m impoxtant, it has both advanced the idea that dcccnhalizing the

2 baing the initial development of this new ru~arch approach, the contributions of Joseph DcStefano, Education Policy Advisor in the Analysis Research and Technical Support Section of USAID'S Africa B u m , were absolutely essential. I remain grateful for his input.

Arrangements have alrcady been made to translate this report into Tigrinya and distribute it locally.

BESO DecenfraIization Study in Tigray Region: Report P W 2

education system can generate viable solutions to mubling educational problems. and facilitated communication between members of the system on how to consnuct generally acceptable solutions.

3. objectives

The goal of the BESO DcccnuaIization Study was to assist 'Iigrayaus in es tab l i sh a dccenaalized management system that supports their educational objectives. Guided by the premise that lasting decisions on donning the Tigrayan educational systan will be made by Tigrayms, this research endeavor was designed to advance drat process. 'Ihu, the primary objective of the BESO Deanuahtion Study for Tigray Region was not to produce this report. but to initiate a process of franLly confronting major problems that directly affect the learning proass of students, and exploring how decenpalizing tlae regional educational system can beat address thoae pioblans. Findings arising from the parsionate workshop dkussioas invoked by the re~arch--on pmceu &scribed here, then, are deemed as important the field rcmzch findings that this final reparr also amtaina.

'Ihe tion on Study Team COIL- iwearch and analysis on educational probkms in orda to advance the idea that adQessing the needs of schools should be the primary pnpose of the Tigrayan educational system. It then facilitated movement in that direction. The Sardy Team alsci c o m p d perceptions and priorities of problems held by members of each level in the educational system - Region, Zone, Woreda and the School Community - and facilitated workshop dhcwicnu on the findings, in order to illuminate where the system is united, and where it is internally divided. And since these unities and divisions werc revealed a! workshops, before rqmwntatives fnan evay level and geogqhic Zoae, workshop discussions could then consider the final research objective: to initiate an ongoing pmcess of open dialogue, between those wboee jobs would be d k d y affected by educational xcfonns. a b u t (1) what a viable, and locally-u~tandab1e, decu~ealizsd education sPuaur t should look Like; (2) what the objectbed of rhe system atsould be, (3) how the four system levels should relate to each o t k , and (4) what roles, qmtuibilitiw, tedrr, and authorities should be meted out to each level.

Following from the idea b t the should initiate a process f a change, the rumrcb proarr, was shrrred with mernben, of the educ8lion system in T i m ahnoat fmm the outscf Local cducaticm pmfessionals thus received the following set of specific research objeuivcs:

BESO Decentralization Study in Region: Final Report

fig. 1: Specific Objectives Handout

I ! 1. Articulate the P m s e of Decentralization

How does decentralization help Tigmyans achieve their education objectives? For example, how & &centrdizrrnzrrnon r e f o m help achieve:

I a) increased enrollment, b) i ~ m e d aualirv. & c) more nlevont education? I Help attain a consensus on how a decentlalized management structure can contribute to addressing the ( most important concans of basic education. I

2. Identifv E x = w Pmbl . . ems Whm is the current srmrrr ofthe primmy education system and what are the major ptoblcms? Gather and a n a l y ~ data on the cumnt status, needs, problems and priorities of all major participant groups in the Tigray basic education system (Regional Government officials, Regional Education Bureau, Zonal Education Office, Womb Education Offia, School, Community).

3. Sdentifv Solutions to ExrJtlnn Problems . .

How can we solve the mjorproblcms? Use workshops to facilitate: i) discussion of fiadings. ii) identification of the most pressing concans, and iii) exploration of solutions. The woduhops would include rcprwentatives of the major participant P U P S .

4. . . . . Putline Srructurcs and R e s ~ o n s i b ~ Haw can solutiom guide the management system? Help dcfme dccentrabd s m and job rwponsibilities in tenns of i) how the propogsd solutions can be achieved, and ii) how they supoort education obiactives.

ITbe mearch study began on July 6.1995, and cxtmded through the second week of October, a total of about fifteen weeks. For the initial week in Ethiopia, Joseph DeStefano, of AFR/ARTS/HHR in USAID, joined me in developing the central racarch ideas and initial resaxch doameats: This inc1udad a first trip to Mekelle. This rrip was inunded to d i m s the research philosophy with members of the =gray Education Bureau, as well as gather their ideas about our approach. This allowed us to further rcfme the research design. But our discussions also allowed us to lean how the Br~eau categorizes educational problems and priolitks according to three collceprs: access, quality, and equity. 'Ihe subsequent development of the m h design used these concepts as the central categories for analymg the qualitative data

In the second week, the "Project Rcscacha" position had to be filled. It was clecidad that the Study Team would need a countupat who was experienced not only in research, but also at wotlrshops. 'h is pgson would also need to speak Tigrinya, because he/she woad be leading the woxbhop discussions in that language. It would also be useful if the countupat was not directly linked to the education system. Subseqmtly, Ato Amare Asgedom of Addis Ababa University was hired.

4 Prior to arriving in Ethiopia, IX. W b e t h Leu of the Academy for Educational Development also made important contributions to the development of the research approach.

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: F i Report

The third week of the research began by shiftlng all activities to Mekelle, the capital of Tigray Regon. An institutional amngement was made with the Mekelle Business College to hire researchers for the project. Interviews wen quickly arranged, and four candidates w m hired. Additionally, the Regional Education Bureau seconded one member of their sfaff as a part-time Study Team member. This person not only participated in the data collection, workshop presentation and report writing activities, but was also asked to handle most of the logistical and fmc ia l arrangements for hosting the workshops. Following a brief but intensive eeining period, the new Study Team alternated periods of field research in one of the four geographical and nrbninisaative Zones (fmt Eastern, followed by Western, Southern, and Central) with time in Mekelle, compiling, analyzing, and preparing presentations and reports of our findings.

Prehhary nsuuch findings were regularly presented at organized workshops soon after their collection, in Zonal capitals as well 8s the R e g i d capital: a aitical featme of this rrsearch endeavor. Members of the education system could dm &&r, and debate over, the Study Ternn's fmdings. 'Ibis laid the foundation for the guided workshop disawicms that followed. h e of the invited participants w m also asked to prepare mlutim to pressing problems or 'Basic Visionsw for a decenrralized education system in Tigray. These were typed in both EPglish and Tigrinya, circulated at w h o p gathaings, and became the basis for passionate discussion. 'Ihe fmal wohhop, a 3-day event, which received national and regional pmss coverage, ocaured in the fourreenth week of the ~esearch caleadar? The fiaal report has been submitted in the fmal week of the research (week no. 15).

One central assumption that both underlies and help inform ?his rrsearch endeavor is the belief that dcccnualizing an educational system can enhaace educational quality. 'Ibat is, a deceDualizcd educatim system atn lead to abmcd qstan efticieacy aad mponsivma~ to local oducatinnal cancans, which will have a positive effect on the learning process of studaats.

Thus, r e s e a r c h - a n w i o n approach presented here is focused on fncilim- the creation of a relevant, viable and locally-acceptable system of d c c c n ~ education, by arguing that system efficiacy should ultimately be judged by one f u n d a m d pqosc cadmabg e v q education system: its effect on the learning process of stude~ts. Addi t idy , woxkhop discussions were designed to d d a both the functions and the existing general ideas about ~ m h a t i o n through the use of a ploblem- solving appic#rch.

As a coasequeace, the mearch methodology was guided by the following thr# general principles:

'Ihe rwearch methodology was designed to be accessible. R e d questions and analysis, w a o p presentations and a h a p a l t dhcussicms, were all deaigncd to be simple and dimct, and focused on what werc found to be the most &tical qwtkms and concerns regarding educational problems and the nature of a ckcu~mlid lvrlrnricmal system.

The guiding pqoac of Wing these and other related measurn was to recognize that our intended audience lay, in part, dinaly within each level of the educational system. If maubers of the existing system werc supped to actively participate in pmccaa of problem-solving and n e p t b b g a a- aducation SyStUU, then the appIVW& design, b S M t S , prtsmdOIl8, C k U h d

s Please refer to Armex A for more information. Note, however, that the schedule (which was developed both in the Grcgorian as well as Ethiopian calendars) does NOT include the initial two weeks of the research endeavor. 'Iht schedule was designed for circulation to members of the Tigrayan education system, and only included those weeks when the study was based in their fegion. Thus, the twelfth week in the schedule was ectually the founccnth week of the entire research activity.

BESO Decentralization Study in Region: F i Report Page 5

documents and reports, and organized Qscussions had be constructed in a way that would make them accessible and understandable to those with a relatively limited educational background at the "lower" levels of the education system (the schools and the Worcdas). 'Ihis was particularly important because the schools and the Woredas were the focus of our field research and our research philosophy.

Accordingly, a series of measures wen undertaken to insure that the distribution of information, and the sharing of ideas, was, in a sense, "deaen9.alized", including:

the research questions, strategies for analysis, and mode of pmenration and write-up was intentionally set in a simple, direct, and accessible style.

the analytical framework for analysis of the quantitative data used the t h e principldcategories - access, equity, and quality - that the regional educational system used to amfigu~ and analyze educational problems Pnd priorities. Additionally, once ~ t a t h s were made, we used commentary from workshop patkipants to further refine and include new research categories that they were particularly interested in.

research findings were presented soon after they w u t gathered at workshops. 'Ibis meant that the research analysis had to be stramlined Yet this also allowed for timely presentation of results.

workshop discussions w m held prrmarily in Tigriuya. This was to insure that those participants who had difficulty in English would be able actively participate in the discussions.

the translation of every questionnaire, every set of workshop minutes, and many of the research presentations and reporrs, into ngrinya The Tigrinya copies will be left with the Regional Education Bureau in Mekelle (the uanslatcd English questiannaires will be sent to USAID in Addis Ababa). Anangements have already been made to translate this final report and every document that workshop participants produced into Tigrinya and then distributed to all participants.

a schedule of the final tbkcn weeks of research activity (that is, those weeks during which the research was held in Tigray Region) was disaibuted to workshop participants, both in the kgorian Calendar (see Annex I), as well as in the Ethiopian calendar. This provided local education professionals with knowledge of the Study Team's activities and plans, and wha thcy would be visiting their Zone.

The essence of this metbodologicai approach was presented to members of the education system at informational meetings, intaviews and workshops with two diagrams. The point was to insure that the workshop participants mdentood that thcy had a critical role to play in the research process, and that it was designed not only to receive their guidance, but to provide them with useful informarion and a forum for considering issues relating to duxamlization. Thus, the following handout was devised and circulated widely:

BESO Decentralhtion Study in Tigray Region: Final Report

fig. 2: Methodological Overview Handout (abridged)

I MErHODoLOGICAL OVERVIEW:

ODOJ XXiICAL -: how can the education system emphasize its sup* of 8chooIs (instead of odministcring the schools)?

Ihe Decentralization Study Team neads to answer two questions: 1. What the schoals need

A ACCESS i) Emoheat - w h ~ m t a I l s r m d w h ~ d o c s ~ t ? ~ ~ U , ~ h m i s t t u p o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ f d m e n t , and what is the mImionship between the school and the communa~ry?

ii) Retention - who repeats* wtro drops our, and why?

I B. QUALITY i) Teachers

I - how much ofthe c ~ n ~ c ~ w n is being taught in h e schools? I - what needF/concems do the reachcr~ have? I I ii) Mataids I - w h a t ~ ~ a r e t h r r c i n s c h c r o b , h o w a t c t h c y 1 ~ C d , dhowhasirafected I Iauning? I

iii) Cuniculum ("Relevance") - what are the skills m the school support Levels (.Wore& Education @ce. Zacll Education m e , and the Regional Emcwrion Buruau) ahm can supporr ctaricvlum issucsot aheschoolIrvrl? (rhmis. m a k i n g s l n r t h e t e a c h e r s m e i n t d u c e d r m d ~ t h e c v n i c J M [ie. training]; materials to suppon crcrriculwn issues; evolu4tion of its suppa.)

C. EQUITY whaz &inti ofdiflc~eraces are thcn benveen:

a) boy and girl JNdcnts? b) skiuiem in naul and urban areas? c ) ~ t h a t a n c w r y p o o r , a n d I c r s p o o r ?

I Wht & the E d H b g Administntive Qpcity? I Whatdothtydo? Howdomhcydoit? What rcsos~rces does each level have?

?be procedures and purposes of the mearch were also communicated through the use of the following chart at workshops. It is here that the idea of a "basic vision" for the system was first introduced. It waf made clear that the workhops should be forums for thinlring about what fbc new and slowly evolving decmfdhati011 cducaficm system should l a k like. Accordingly, the rwearch approach asked membas who had regularly made significant contributions to worlcllhop discussions to develop, and then present

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: Final Report Page 7

their "visions" for a decentralized education system. These "visions" were asked to be developed in tern of how the primary responsibilities and authorities of the system should be parceled out to each of the four main levels of the education system (Region, Zone, Woreda, School), and how each level should communicate and work with each other. The two "basic visions" that were presented at the final workshop will be discussed in morc detail below.

fig. 3: ?be Research Process Chart I 1 Step 1: DATA

1A. What to the schools need? School Level: Access ___, Equity Q d t y

1B. What are the existing admio. capacities: Responsibilities Activities Systems Roles, etc.

Step II: ANALYSIS

2A. What are the Problems and Priorities? Desaibe the biggest problems at scbools, the major con-, etc.

2B. Describe What do they do? How do they & it? What m o m does each level have?

3A. How do we accomplish the priorities? Whatcantheschoolsdo? What can the system do to wpport the schools?

I 3B. What is the basic vision of the system?

3C. What steps do we makc to get to the basic visioa?

II. Foars on SckooIs a d Wondar

At every workshop, it was made clear to participants that the Study Team was evaluating the success of the educational system by focusing their resurrrh efforts on the problems and condition of the schools. Grtat emphasis was made to communicate that the Study Team saw the learning p e a s , and thus the support of the needs of schools, as pahaps the primary purpose of any education system. 'Ihus, research data on the problems and conditions related to learning - by interviewing school staffs, and observing the material condition of the school as well as classroom activities - would be the prhnary focus of field research.

But rtsearch on the level just "above" the schools wm also considered unusually imporrant This prioritization was linked to a aitical piocess of education policy being discussed by the Management Cornminee of the T i y Education Bureau. They are in the process of staffmg the new 35 Woreda Education Offices, and devising how, and the extent to which, these off= should 'aQninistratc" to the schools. As will be am8idcd below, it became clear that the paape and extent of the responsibilities and authorities of the Woreda would rtmngly influence, and perhaps even guide, the eventual decentralized system. Henct, acwrding a mpifmmt degree of focus on the activities, problans, and perspectives of the Woreda Educaiion Ol?icas in the cumm system was deemed both unusually imponant, and timely.

By retaining a focus on schools and Woredas, the Duxntrahuion Study Team hoped to cormact the problems and current situation of the schools, and the perspectives and concerns of the Woreda Education Officers, to facilitate and influence the evolving process of deceaaaLizing tte education system in Tigray Region. The following diagram was used to emphasize this annection, by comparing the research approach, which put the school and Woreda on top, to the cumnt and previous education system, whose saucaaes both set the school at the boaom.

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: Final Report

Fig. 4: Conceptualizing Decentralization: 'The Four Boxes" 1 I. old system: 2. m n t system I

1 Minim of Education I I

I Regional Bureau I

3. Rcseurh Approach

One of the concerns of the approach was not to strengthen the education system (Region, Zane, Woreda) before emphasis on the system's connection to, and responsibility for, the schools, was made first. The limited focus on mating job descriptions in this overall research approach arose in part to avoid strengthening the existing tendency to focus on descriptions before the puqmc of those job descriptions was considawl and understood first

To advance this prows, making an emphatic connection between the realities and probkms in whools and the responsibilities of the education system, which is tasked with dmirhatinglmpxtbg the schools, was felt to be a necesm first step. Thae was concan that focusing on job U p t i o m first could have the unfmmatc effect of stccqhahg tht bumumacy while distancing the system from the needs of schools.

The chart below Mivates the ''four boxes" approach, by desaibihg how field rrsearch would gatha two kinds of data: one on the cumnt activities and pmblems that cumntly confront the Waredas and schools (through the use of queaioanairts); the other an the process through which educational problems art identified and addressed by the edwafion systun (through the use of opea interviews). Togetha, it was hoped that a p i m of educational problems, both in terms of conditions aud cammunicarion between levels, would becane clear. 'Ihe following chart was used to describe this process:

BESO Dcccnualimion Study in Tigray Region: Final Report

SCHOOLS (parents, teachers,

1. Baseline Data: 2. Wcriution of Ploctss

Que~tl~onnains on 4 Interviews about how key activities and problems problem are at the nuo critical levels oddre& (School and Wore&)

i - i y Offic'

REGIONAL BUREAU (RcgionalEducation

hvestigating and presenting findings on the problems of the schools saved three intemlated purpoees. Ihe fnst was to alert members of the education system of the plight and perspectives of the schools, in order to facilitate a reconsideration of the system's priorities. The second was to initiate discussions on how pressing problans at schools could best be addressed The third was to see how, by reorienting priorities and solutions, a picture, or 'Vision", of a new, more efficient and responsive system, could be realized. The act of negotiating for a general ~ ~ K ! U S U S between m e m h of the education system on such a vision could then inform, and hopefully advance, the development of a workable dccatralkcd education system for Tigray Region.

Thus, before getting to the spccXcs of decentdimion, it is important to fnat move towards general agreement between members of tbe education system on the purposes and priorities that bould guide development of the new sysum. Initiating this process was the ultimate goal of this research endeavor.

B. Field Reseuch .ad Analysis: An Overview

Field research consisted of two teams of researchers (one Held Interviewer together with an Enumerator) who completed the questionoaires developed for school observation, teachers, parents, school directars, and Woreda Education Officials (please rder to Anna B). The Decenealization Specialist, the h j e c t Researcher, and the Regional Education Bureau qrcscntative carried out either process-oriented

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: Final Report Page 10

interviews andlor researched specific topics, such as Woteda Education activities (Annex I), or problems related to Radio Education (Annex J) or Pedagogical Centers (Annex K).

The primary method of analysis was comparative between zones and between groups of respondents. Again, the methodology was intentionally saaightforward, m order to enhana the accessibility of the Study Team's fmdings. Additionally, Zonal comparhns revealed s i ~ i c a u t variations between Zones regarding specific issues (the Southern Zone had relatively low aaollment demand, the Eastern Zone had the highest gender inequality, to name two examples). Comparing fmdings by Zoae was intended to reveal local diffaarces that would help facilitate the d e c a ~ o n process. Workshop discussions

revealed several significant areas of di f f~ t ia t ian by Zone that Zonal Fiduation Officas were not aware of. On two occasions, the turms had to pnp91.e their comparative analyses (in prelimbuy terms) overnight, a8 we had scheduled worLshops in the capital of the Zone we had been cmducthg field research in that we& .

It should be noted here that the focus un the simple, direct analytical approach was conducted without computers. Indeed, initiating analysis in the field - whae electrical suppiies were uaually sporadic at best - necessitated the use of simple calculatioo(~ and comparhm (done with calmlators) which nevertheless revealed consistently significant results.

The teams who d e d out the questionnaire research each wart to two Woredas m a Zone, and two schools per Woreda 'hey wae expected to complete questiondrcs witb two Woreda Education Heads, four school directors, sixteen tachas, and fortyeight praents, and amduct -1 obsmation sheets for each of the four schools visited. Taken together with the process-cniented (long interview) research &cd out by the other members of the team, the Study Team iaterviewed a total of 329 parents, 115 teachas, 29 school dinctors, Education OfIicials from 28 diffexent Woredas (more than -third of the cumnt n m b a of Woreda offices in Tigray). Then, in the last week of field mmcch - the only research week that tookplace when school wasin sewion-teachgin27 clarsroams wmobeaved.

Woredas, and schools located within Woredas, were c k n m according to two objectives. Fmt, theat was a desire to visit schools in every geographic d o n of each Zone. Second, the teams carrying out the baseline data rwearch (with q ~ ~ ) were assigned to test an analytical -gory that members of the Zonal Eduauicm Offices had combteatly called to our attention. in tams of equity, the rrPalhaban distinction, they argued, did not matter nearly as much as whetha a achool was located on a main rod or not (main road being defined as an all-weather road that cormected two Woreda towns). Thus, we tried to select Worcdas fnnn different geographic d o n s of each Zone that contained schools thru were located in urbanareas,inraralareas,aad,inotherW~,~achoolswerrc~iftherewasanelocatednear a main road, and mother located between 1-2 hours' walk from a main road (wallting mare than four hours per day was amsidaed theamside limit, because the field -has had to have enough time to carry out a h a , of interviews a f k they anived at the schools). In order to cover all Zonal areas, data was ale0 gathmd at MeLclle (urben) s b b .

Ihe list of Woredas md schools visited by the badhe dao teams is as follows (listed in chronological order):

1. Eastan Zunc (a half-week of research, as it constituted a combination training and s u p e r v i a c d ~ ~ ~ ~ o n )

1.1 TsaedaEmba Woreda - Dinglet Elanenmy School - W e Elementary School

1.2 Kilte Belesa WoFsda - Mai Kado Elementary School - Adi Beles Elementary School

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2. Western Zone

Laylay Koraro Woreda - Selekeleka Elementary School - Selekeleka Evangelical School

Tahtay Koraro W d - Adi Abozut Elementary School - Wukar Duba Elementary School

Mai Tsebri Woreda - Mai Tsebri Elementary School - Emba Mdre Elementary School

Tsimbela Woreda - Endabaguna Jr. Secondary School - Zena Kode Elementmy School

Southern Zone

Emba Alage W d - Adi Shihu Elementary School - Egri Albe Elementary School

Enderta Woreda - Mai Mekden Elementary School - Debri Elementary School

Mekhoai Wcnda - Aebo Elementary School - Fana Weyrme Elanentary School

Enda Mekhoni Woreda - Adi Arbaae Element8ry School - Tesfay Fmde Elementary School

En& Abatsah8ma Woreda - Enda AbgtMhama Elencntaq School - Mai Misham Elemalt8ry School

Needier Womb - Mahbae Deigue Jr. Secondary School - Enda Arbi Elanenfay School

Adi Abun Wareda - Adi Abeto Jr. Secondary !khool - Mai Darn0 Elementary School

Degua Tembien - Maie Gua Elementary School - Ruba Khissa Elementary School

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5. Mekelle Sub-Zone

- Aba Begremichacl Catholic School - Adi Haki Elementary School

In support of the contention that good local information facilitates good local decision-making, workshop haudouts were developed by every ream according to specific cacgotics or topics (quality, equity, access, pedagogical centers, etc.). The handouts were limited to highlighting particularly illuminating analyses. And as they w m designed mainly to stimulate interest and focus their attention on s@c issues, the statistical handouts were limited to one page per presentation.

Ftnally, the Project Researcher d e d out extensive inVNiews with Woreda E d d o n Heads across three of the four Zones (see Annex I), examined the problans of radio education in the Central Zane. and supervised the activities of the baseline data teams. The Regional Education Buteau qmcntative assisted in carrying out baseline data, as well as developing a special research project on the state and problems of Pedagogical Centcrs in the Southern and Central Zones (see Annex K). The Dccmmlization Specialist visited gaopphical areas and Wotadas not visited by the other Study Team manbers, using a method of selection that was processsrieated. In the Eastern Zone, for example, I researched, in part, differences in activities that wen conducted by Woreda Education Of'ficials in tbe Worcda containing the most schools in the Region (22), against another Wonda containing one of the least (only 2). Then, in the Western Zone, I inteaviewed five W o m b Heads that w m located along the road to S h m . in the far northeastern coma of the region, in order to cover that geographic ana of the Zone and examine diffmnces in activities and perspectives between Woreda Education OlYices with similar cbractaistics (all had 2-3 schools, and were located on a main mad). I also was not in T i p y Region for the fieldwork, and the accompanying analysis, for the Southern Zone. The Project Researcher supervised the mearch team's activities (admirably) in my abacnct.

lhe Workshops were orgrrmzed to contain not ody rcpmmcatives from evay level and geographic Zonc of the Region. Participants were also invited if, when a marcher interviewed than, they wae seen to have particularly interesting, unusual or creative approaches to problems in their Zone, Woreda or school. Additionally, a comparatively large sciccrkm of pmticipants were always invited from thore Zones that we had just visited, again in the intercat of disseminating good local information to faciliratc good local decision-maling.

Workshops had to be canfully prepared beforehand. A budget had be developed to include coffee and sodas twice a day, as weU as a lunch. These organized social events were designed to facilitate communication and extend workhop conversations across the day. They were alm designed to insure that the workshop participants stayed together the entk time, to funher the process that the worksbops were designed to advance.

Re-workshop negotiations also became mcesmy. Only once did I choose to m p r h workshop participants (and partkuMy B u m Depclrrment Heads) with a discusion topic that rhey had not anticipated. This was for the fourrh workshop, and the s w p f k was designed to obtain a preview of how various participants would react to being cd imted with unusually challenging hues (details will be provided in the following section) at the Final Wohshop.

'Ihe workshops had a set framework. They always began with a miew of the purpose of the research, and participants were reminded of the critical role that t hy played in the research process. -tations by manbas of the Study Team then followed, always including hues peteaining to baseline data analysis of issues of educational quality, access and equity, aed containing pmmtacions on a variety of other subjects. An entire section (15 - 2 hours) was then reseivcd for discussion and questions about the

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: Final Report page 13

findings the Study Team had just presented. Then, after lunch, the workshop discussion topic was introduced. The fmt three workshops focused upon the problem of book distribution until the participants had arrived at a decision on how they w m going to reform this function. The fourth workshop floated the idea of a 'Basic Vision" for the fmt time, and had a fairly contentious debate over the discussion question "How arc decisions made?", in ordn to gauge responses to the surprise subject. This allowed for mort precise planning of the fmal, 3-day workshop

Two main rules guided workshop discussions. Fit, since the Roject Researcher, who spoke Tigrhya and was an experienced workshop leader, he assumed the Chair from the on Specialist, and urged people to sp& in the local language. This symbolically xeflwed the workshop fram the researchers to the participants, and set the facilitated the participation of eveiyoae pl.esent (had the discussions ban conducted in English, few participants from the Iowa levels would have felt a part of the pmccdhgs). Scum4 those problems that wen discused were aim not buppored to be personalized - the intention was to focus on solutim to problems, and how d e c u k ~ c m can facilitate that process, and not allow the divisive back-and-forth that would have ensued had personal critiques of work pcrfomance been permitted.

As time wart on, I became more and mare comfortable discussion questions that wert intentionally designed to provoke discussants. Questions such as 'how can you Ieam to read a book if you don't have a book to read?', and "why is it easier to get a bag of cement than a book to a school" were designed to focus all participants and push the discussion ahead.

Finally, workshops were designed (again, excepting the fourth workshop) to produce ''outputs" or 'products", which wen documents containing either proposals wri- by partiahly innovative or outspoken participauts (Annex N and O), or a general workshop u m ~ u @art of Annex N and Annex P). The Find Workshop alsu gradually gathered workshop prkipants as pceacntete. Om the second day, a representative from the Management Committee gave a report on dclibuatians over how to reform the Woreda Education Offices. 'Iha~, on the final day, the workshop turned the presentations over to tholle who had developed their own "Basic Visions". T h e presenters then had to &fend their visions duriag discussion. By the end, the participants had taken over the pmcedbp, and wae determining what the participants wae going to produce as a "product" of the workshap. This development was one of the main reasons that the Final Workshop was later considered such a s w c e ~ - the system was not only 'thinking out loud", but it was doing so on its own.

There wert several methodological constraints. Among them was lack of axnpuur skills by any manber of the Study Team below the Decentmbtion Spedist. This fact hampered the ability of the research to analyze the data more amqmhsively. Two othcn arc relaced to the ti- of the study:

One of the objectives of the study was to include those schools in the more remore areas of ngray in the study. The rainy waxm made that diffkuh to achieve, and so repmats a dgniiicant canMlaint on the ability of the we arch team to collect extensive data fiom the most disadvantaged schools in thc region.

While this mearch endeavor started in July, school did not start its new year until mid-September. 'Ibis imposed two types of constraints on the methodology. Fmt, it made the colledian of data from reachers morc time-amslrmiag, because teach= wae located in n w towns aad not neat the schools. Scc~nd, the march methodology had to be modified to accommodate the timing of school activities. QUMtioanaires involving inmviews with Wortda Education Officials, school directon,, teachers, and

BESO Decenualization Study in Tigray Region: F d Report Page 14

parents of primary school children w m the focus of field research for our initial waks in the Eastern, Westan, and Southern Zones. It was only during our final period in the field, during the week of September 18-23 in the Central Zonc, that the Study Team was able to observe school operations while they wm in session. Thus, classroom observations only became a part of the research work during that fieldwork period.

It should also be noted, however, that thm was one important asset to the timing of this study. Since colleges and universities have generally the same school break time as primary schools, the positions of Project Researcher, Field Interviewer (2). and Enlrmaator (2) could be hlled by a group of qualified (and highly motivated) college and univenity teachers, who were able to work on the Study Team because school was not m session.

In addition, the incmqmmion of workshops as a central f m of the mearch approach meant that significant amounts of time had to be invested in pqamions f a and subrequeat follow-up from, workshops. This meant tbat, as Dccmtdzation Spcciabt and the head of the Study Team, I often wanted to spend more time M y s u p c m h i i m h activities and analyzing data tbaa I was able to.6 In addition, since the F d Workshop was a large, 3-day event, the Study Team had a limited amount not only to prepare for the final report, but to complete an array of other activities rtM to completing the F d Workshop.

The following general themes are linked to issues both of pmblans (and problan-solving) and to the problem of decentralization. 'Ibey are intended shed ~ a n e light on how problems, admh&r&ve smcuxrcs, and ideas are, in genaal, perceived and canceptualized by manbas of the education system in Tigray. It should also be noted that many of the geaarl thanes dedaibed below relate to the challenge of operationalizingconcepg such as dexnmhuion, quality, and Cgicieacy.

In conceptual and historical tamr, centdimion is the bureauaruic model for dccauakation. The reason for this emanates froan the uperiara of all experienced education profwsioaals m Tipay of havmg wwLed within a ctlltrdkd educarion system for most of their careas. Despite dramatic refoms that have been enacted in post-war Tigray. cenfdbtion constitutes the pdomhmt model for everyday activities within the existing education system.

Thus, while Tigrayan ehxatm gamernlly agree that decentraking the education system is a good thing, and that it is a reform whw time has the workshop discussions c l d y demonstrate that the specific implications of Rlch &orm still pmt diffidties for many. What often seans more logical, to many, is the way tbe brPeauaacy normally functbm. Camqmtly, whik there may be gcnml apemeat on the idcrr of &ccmak&on, the path towardr it may often appear not only difficult but d ~ ~ i c r l r r w e l l .

The result is a gap between decentdimion as an ideal, and what its implications are for bwcaucdc function. Same experienced members of thc Regional education system, who began their careers working m the previous centralized education system, a h have strong reservations about moving at a pace any faster than they are already proceeding. Many are prickly about this issue. 'Ihis fact, combined with a g e n d prickliness about what has been perceived as aaqcmh& long delays in getting BESO started,

Contributions made by Dr. James Williams, Jr., M A S Fellow with USAID/AFR/SD/HRD, near the end of the project helped fill this gap. I remain grateful for his input, supporS and general assistma.

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: Final Report Page 15

supports the perception that a more prescriptive approach to decentralization by the study team may have been met with a great deal of difficulty.

Outside of the well-established Ethiopian tradition of centralized bureaucracy sits the influence of the Tigrayan Ptople's Liberation F m t (TPLF). The tradition of the 'Gem-Gum" meetings, whm all are invited to express their critiques of community leaders, politicians, and heads of buramacies, has been incorporated into the education system to a significant extent For more than a week during this research period, department heads from the Regional Bureau, and the heads of the Zonal Education Offices, wen all forced to weather frank criticisms of their work performance by their pem at the annual work "evaluations". It should be added that this aadition has facilitated the sucass of the -h-and- discussion approach described here.

Despite the bcnefits of "Gem-Gum", however, the TPLF-inspired nadition mclltioned above is not necessarily san by education bureaucrats as pm of day-to-day fuoctions. l%us, these two divergent traditions -- of centmlized -a, and ''Gan-Gum* - an working to influcna local perceptions of daxnmIization. From this context, and based an a series of mtcrviews with education officials at every level of the Tigrayan education system, rhree pcrccptioas of deceaaalization have emex@

Regiooalization is a form of decentralization. This pmqtion is affected by whether or not the policy-making "'antd' makes decisions in an open, weU-infonned fashion. A regional system, sinct it is closer to the schools and communities, can thus become dcccnhalized. On the other hand, an education system that is based in the capital, since it is so distanced from local communities and schools, caanot.

~~ systems are efficient 'Ibis issue entered i n m e w discusions as a way to explain why building materials could reach rural communities relatively effortlessly, while gettomg books and other educational material distribution to schools was more difficult to achieve. In this perception, the distribution system was emphasized: the distribution system for building mataials was thought to be efficient, and thus *'dccanalized", while the book distribution was inefficient because it was still "centralized

TPLF ideas and traditions an guidelines for daatrtibUion. This idea was never raised directty, but was raised h d h x l y with fmpmcy. TPLF traditions were seen to be succe~ful and empowering of local communities. And since the TPLF opposed the former Degue government, and the Dague's style of government was paceived as c e n w a TPLF-inspired model would necessarily be perceived as ~~

"AcnrcJry, I'm not sure how [the emcCation system] works. I orJy understand that it w o h like a chin: Region to Zone, Zone to Wore&, Wow& to S c M "

- a Woreda Education Officer

One of the particdm chall- to dcantralizing the ducation system m T i is how man- of eacb level of the system relaoe to, rmd perceive of, other levels of the system. 'Ihe drmificana of this issue became particularly clear during work~hop discussions about book disoibution, when s e v d of the participants found the idea of joining the Region and Womda levels together in om function - and thus leaving the Zones out of the perfomancc of that function entirely - -cult to a w e to terms with. Argulnents that such an amngment might enhrmoe efficiarcy were amfimted by opposing arguments that it was too radical and would create a chaotic situation.

The following issues an related to, or arise a, this situafion:

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: Final Report

The size and duties of an education level is (mostly) relative to itself. This is a particularly important issue at the moment, because the Management Committee, in coordination with the Regional Council, is in the process of drawing up the size and duties of the new Woreda Education Offices. There were strong indications at the Final Workshop, however, that negotiations between the Committee and the Regional Council are atering on the staff size of each new Woreda Education Office. It is uumed that the articulation of specific responsibilities, tasls, authorities, etc., for each Worcda will follow those mptbtions. Membas of the Management Committee were also queried about how the change8 would effect the job descriptions at the Zanal and Regional levels, since the new Wareda Education O&ces wen going to be h a n m most of the administrative activities for schools. This mattex appears to be still umesolved

There is no question that accountability is an especially significant value for members of the education systun. Arguments in urppart of the established system d accountability was one of the primary reams behind arguments (dwing the course of workshop dkwions) for retaining the Zone in the book distribution function: the Region and the Zoee already had a well-established and mutually understood policy for maintaining accountability between the two levels. Yet both book distribution pFoporals that wm produced by Zonal Education Officus (see Annex N) argued that reforms of the book distribution system were necessary, in part because of the pma~ce of corruption in the system, and the need to enhance both efficiency Md accountability.

"Comrd" m. "Chu": L i d h g ResponsWiq and Authority

"Responsibility without olrthorily has an adverse moral effect. " - a Final Workshop participant

"At thc WOT& kvd, OW ~ v i b i l i r y is Very high, but OW 4uahority is VcTy &w. " -aWoredaEducationOffkcr

Currently, most of the decision-making authority in the existing ngrayan education system lies at the top two levels of the system (the Region and the Zones). Yet there levels are also ovdcmdcd with detail- oriented activities. Appeals were made at workshops, and during conversations prior to wo&hops, to consider a m l i d o n as a way of riftiag rame of the masa of details off the desks of Regional d Zonal officas, and making tbeir jobs easier md more atjayable. It was added that it might also enhance the system's ovaall cf6cicncy a d ability to respond effectively to rhe needs of schools.

Yet the belief that delegating authority might be amncctcd to the enhancement of efficiency and responsiveness still appears to bafairly weak At one mating in the &st month of the research, a Bureau official voiced his fear that giving too much authority to the schools would mean that they would become too '%", and thus didlicult to "wnmln. The mult, he said,'wouM be "chaosn, and that definitely had to be avoided. At the same time, Bureau officials have explained, steps are being taken to *Lanpowa" the sdlools.

N e v ~ l e a s , the ga#ll b&&a of the manbas in the education system nflccts the existing team for most of the authrrity to be located at the upps levels of the syuem, while adminimarm at the lower end of the system - paticularly at the level of the Woreda - are accustomed to carrying out their bVcspibilities". This state of affain is what I refared to as the 'feligioa of education" in at the F d Workshop. Many ofthe decisions that affect the the of Worsda officials are made at the Regional level. But the pimsry method of requesting a dcdicm to be made on meir behalf, many Wanda officials related, is to write down requests in their weekly, monthly, or mual reports d send than to their immediate supavisor at the level. Then they must "hope" that the requests: (1) an duly noted by their s m , (2) relayed by the Zonal official to the proper authority at the Regional level; (3) given a response at the Region; (4) make sure that the Region mums the response to their supavisor at the Zone,

BESO Deccn-OD Study in Tigray Regis Final Report page 17

and, finally, (5 ) receive the answer he/sbe has bebe waiting for. This long and elaborate m e s s may take months to complere, and sometimes the Woreda official may not receive an answer at all. Yet in the meantime, Woreda officials said, they could only wait, and "hope" for their reply to arrive.

Access and Quality

One of the most impressive achievements of the Tigrayan education system since the end of the war in 1991 has been its reconstruction of school facilities. The level of the system's determination to continue this trend is equally mnarkable: the 5-year plan contains the ambitious goal of more than doubling the current number of primary schools in Tigray, to nearly 1,200 schools.

Although the effort and drive to physically rebuild the edurational iafrastmctum of this war-torn region is hub admirable, considering the effect of enlarging the number of schools, students, teachers, and school directors on overall educational quality appears to have b e u ~ ovashadowed by optimism.

The strong emphasis on enlarging access is in part a rqonsc to the g e n d y strong demand for increasing access to schools by parents. One of the purpocles of the workshops has been to emphasize the linkage betwecn thc work of the education system and the learning process of children (see Section 5D below).

B. Problems and Pempedves

Every education system has problems. The research on problems, and perceptions of problems, in the basic education system in Tigray is intended not only to raise awareness about the situation that amhmfs elementary school students in the region, but more imporbmtiy, to use them ru, issues that carmect the process of decentraliting the education system with the process of problem-rolviqg. The pooess of decentralization should be san as a means that improves the ability of the education systan to idenm educational problems, prioritize them, and take effective end efficient steps towards solving thrm. In addition, it should be noted that making extensive and consismt analysis of data by Zone is bigned to support a notion that the dccc~~mlizacion process faciliultes: tht ability of local communities to make decisions based upon specifc local infarmation.

This section is comprised of a series of headings and short descriptions. The dwxiptiom are intentionally short, becaw the significant depth aud scope of the analysis of each subject can be found in the accompanying Annexes. IIhe apprapriate Anna will be mentioned m each section Tbe sections were written by m r m h of the Dcccnrdization Study Team.

It is recommended that the reada consider these documents as extensions of this final repon

Economic factom constitute the major inthence on why students enter school, and why thcy kave. Many parents sad their children to school so that Wshe can eventually qualify to get a government job. Many teachas, school dhectom, a d Woreda E d d o n Ofhcers also meation this as the primary prvpose of education. Ihe purpose of education, then, is oftea seen as an avenue to a non-farming occupation. Economic requirements at the housebold level also constitute the primary reeson that elemumy school students kave.

One of the most notable findings regarding equity is the boy to girl emoheat ratio in the Eastern Zone. While the ratio in all of the other Zones retain a aggregate ratio that is near 1: 1, in the Eastern Zone the ratio is nearly 2: 1 in favor of boys. Unforamatcly, it was not possible to pursue the m that underlie this striking difference. Please tun to the reports m Armexes D and E, written by Talday Tesfay and Ferode Ali, for more information.

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It should be emphasized that those issues regarding quality that are analyzed here (and in the accompanying aunexes) do not concern all issues related to educational quality. Rather, they focus upon those issues relating to quality that wuld be observed when school was not in session (please see the "C~~~aa in t s " section for more infomation, Section 4D). Thus, this section c w c c n w on those materials and conditions, as well as the need for teacher training, that dinctly support or facilitate educational quality. Actual classroom conditions are consided in a subsequent d o n .

The examination of student to textbook ratios in sampled schools across 'ligray was an important aspect of the Study Team's analysis, and findings on this d u e w a e presented at all five workshops. This was due not only to its impmncc to edwabd quality gmcdy, but bacaure textbook &hibution - and, by extcnsion, all educational matuids - became the primaPy discussion issue at the first three worlshops. In general, it was found that the textbook ratio tended to drop off dramatically m all Zones as students advanced into the higher grades, and that, s q r h i i y , the mand warst ovaall student to textbook ratio was found in the oaly entirely urban zone in the region: Mekelle. Mekellc is a h the capital of the region. This f'inding amfronts the widely-held assumption that urban schools in Ethiopia arc better equipped than rural schools. More complete analysis can be found in the reports located in Annexes F and G, both of which were jointly authored by Kinfe Abraha and Fessaha Abadi.

How EdltcdOnol wills on Prrcsivd

Questions about paceptioas of problems were muqmatd into questionnains for evay group that waa interviewed. This was done in arda to compare how the diffaent identified and prioritized educational problems. At the end of every i n d e w queaioauai~~, the same ret of qwtkms were asked of the parents of elaneatary acttool sadents, teachas, achoo1 dixccKm, and W o m b Education mcas about their pacepcions of problems.

Among many other flndings, the r#learch found that parents and teachar, had entirely M a e n t responses when asked to cite the biggatt educatiooal problan in T i . Although el- school teachas have had very limited tmining experience, they cited the shmge of books and teaching mataials as the most pressing educational ppb1em. This may be a recognition of a belief that they cannot perform their tasks adequately not simply because of limited W e r eaining, but because they often lack the basic tools to teach more effectively.

On the otha hand, the most common reply from parents was "I do not know". A saies of long intaviews conducted with parents indicates that this response points to at least two issues: (1) that psrents see their role simply as getting their children into schools, leaving the responsibility of wiving educational problems to their children's d o o l staff, and (2) that most of the pe~mts m T i p y arc either illiterate or have a limited capacity to mad and write, and so have limited knowledge of educational proasses. Ato Aman Asgedom's final repart on this eubject can be fcnxul m Anna H.

While developing this m h ryrppach, it was found that leaxning more about the cumnt activities of Worcda Education Officus would aid the dcccn-on d p u d education reform pocess. This is because the adminisuative duties, and the size of the staffs, of the new Woreda Education Offkm will -brntlyenlmged

'Ihe range of diffaemx in activities performed by =pled Woreda Edudaa OEicers (all wm Heads of their rcspcUbe offices) is note-y. For example, while Wereda Heads in the Western Zone were iound to be primarily involved in both adult and community education activities and amductjng inspections,

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: Final Report page 19

Woreda Heads the Southern Zone spent far more time making inspections than on any other activity. One key factor contributing to the range of variation is the fact that t h m has been virtually no Training for any education officers ar the Woreda level in Tigray Region. For a more complete report, please refer to Annex 1, which is written by Ato Amare Asgedom.

Educational programs broadcast on the radio are supposed be a critical supplement to classroom teaching. At the moment, coordination between the Curriculum Depaxtmeat, which writes the textbooks and teacher's guides for the Tigrayan elementary schools, and the Media Division, which both writes the radio teacher's guides and develops programs far broadcast, are located in diffcmt departments at rhe Regional level. This conmbutes to the lack of communication and amdination between the two activities. Ato Amare Asgedom's third report in this document is located in Annex J.

One of the most striking findings with regard to school pedagogical centas (SPCs) is how little support they receive hm the educational system. Students at many &ooIs are asked to support the ccntess financially as well as help the teachers make teaching aids. Many schools don't have any teaching aids at all. It is common for a teacher to lead a geography class at an elemeatary school without teacher's guide, perhaps without a student textbook (for either the teacher or any of the students), and usually without a map.

For more infoxmation, please refer to h e x K.

"What teachers can get is at Iwt o m W so according to the ocisring condition we are getting a solution."

- a Zonal Education Officer

Although the Study Team's oppomaity to obsave classroom activities was limitad (see Consaaints, Section 4D). significant findings were nevertheleu, obtained Here are four of h e most sigdc8nt:

The teacher writes on the chalkboard while the studcn~ copy hidha writings into their exercise books: this constitutes the primaiy ckrss r~~m activity in vhai ly all of the twenty-seven classrooms observed by the Study Tam.

It is often alleged that the main reason why teachen, spend so much time copying fmm textbooks onto the board, and students copring thdr work into their exercise books, is because then is a shorrage of textbooks. Most teachen, indeed, have never taught in a clasaoom wbae even a third of their students have their own textbook. But this finding suggests that an irnporumt question should be askad: if there w a e textbooks in the classroom, what would the teacher spend their time doing? In addition, few tcackx wae found to be using teaching aids even when they were availabk. Given their limited mining, this issue may be almost as imponant as the endemic s h o w of textbook and teacher's guides in classrooms.

It is far more diElicult to write on a stone than at a school desk. M a t students in =gray sit on stones, or on the floor, which not only is uncomfortable but makes the task of learning more difficult.

Some teachers and school directors in Tigray try to limit srudent access to school desks and textbooks because they 'W them.

BESO Lkccntralization Study in Tigray Region: Finai Report

For additional comments and analysis, please turn to Annex L. which contains two brief repom by Taklay Tesfay and Kinfe Abraha, respectively.

'Ihe workshops have initiated a process of open debate about how to decentralize the education system in Tigray Region. It has enhrged the realm of discussion on critical issues, both in tams of participation and subject matttr, to include the voices and opinions of people from every level of the Regional education sys-.

Gauging fiwm comments received about the workshops, the ability for people at the 10- levels of the system to participate in discussions about how to go about shaping a new educational system was something of a revelation. DiscuMioas about fundammtal policy concerns had, in effect, been " ~ ~ . ?he perspectives, collccms, and pmogatives of the policy-m8ka-s fran the upper levels of the system came into clear view. And whea f u n m t a l philosaphical diffaences berween colleagues from these upper levels w a e exposed, and it suddenly became clear that e m basic issues about how to decentralize the educational systan were not only unresolved but could inspire passionate and divisive debates, all workshop participants began to see how tht syuan -led with the problem of dexntdmion, and wm invited to eater the debate. Suddenly, the education systan was 'drinkinp out loud".

This oftat-dramatic state of affairs revealed the following general tendencies about how the system behaves, and where it is divided:

The ngrayan education system is able to criticize itself. Even those individuals who occasionally voiced their discomfort about the workshop process realized its utility in a p i n g Hhlrationnl problems and facilitaring the m h for solutions.

The leaders of the education system rrrt open and interatad in the ideas and pmpaives arising from both within and beyond their system. 'Ihe wo&bps delivered the masage to all participants that those who are cmat ly making HhlFnr;onal policy at the Regional Bureau arc still fairly mure about how to succeMfully create fundamental system reforms, and ace generally eager to amsider suggestions fmm others.

The products of the workshops coafirm that the education systun is able to negotiate collective agreements about what the priorities for the decentraked educational system should be.

c Z h e ~ 0 f a e g o d u r t l n s . . a consensus on how to moct collective agrcanems for systan nforms, however, is srin in its hfaq.

Ihe idea of errlarOing the realm of direct interaction between the Region and either the Wonda or thc schools rrppears to gumate a cunsidcrable degree of mutual disann€an Workshop participants fmm the schools and Woredrs war! usually hesitant to join in the -dm, aud social intaactons between the Region d the Iowa levels dining workshop break times was limited. In additim, references to class differentiation occasiooally e n d wo&hop 8rgumeats. This iswe of c h diffcrcoriatim was never seated explicitly in public, but it appears to be a significaut, albeit hidden, factor in the tkcea-on debate.

BESO Decentdimion Study in Tigray Region: Final Repm

The following descriptions briefly consider the two major issues that w m discussed at the decentralb&on workshops. More details about all five workshops can be found in Annex M. which summarizes the content of the presentations and discussions.

The Book M u t i o n Debate

Initial field interviews indicated that the issue of book distribution might prove to be a useful avenue to begin the workshop discussion for the following reasons:

It became clear that a p a t many people in the education system felt that the pr#rent book distribution system could be improved because:

(1) The Region-ZoaGWorcda-School chain was strictly followed for distributing boob. No matter which Zonal capital the Regional rruclc was headed to, it would a series of Woredas and schools along the way, but cwldn't stop to deliver them. (2) The books would frequently remain in the Zonal Education Office's storehouse for many WddtPormOllthS.

Book distribution was an issue that was k t l y related to system efficiency (distributing books according to system suucturc instead of @ansport efficiency), and quality (textbook shonage has been documeated m Section 5B above).

The education system had already developed a model for distributing building rnataials to schools more cfficicntly.

The fmt workshop - in the capital of the Westun Zone, Shire Indaselasaic, was the only where the Regional Eiducation Bureau was not rqmmted (their annual ''Gem-Gum" evaluations had been extended). It was also not coincidental that this was the only woPkshop where a c m u s was arrived at quickly.

The second workshop produced a second argument for enhencing efficiency. The first workshop consensus, which called for the Region to circumvent the Zones and deliva directly to Woredas and schools, became the mmt popllm praposal for doming the book distribution sy8tan at the second workshop. A small number of membas of the Bunau voiced strong opposition to the pmposd, howeva, because it wouM be "inefficient" for the Region's om truck to m& all delivaies, especially when each Zonal office had already ban given their own trucks for the plrrpose of making deliveries thanselves (their proposal essentially consisted of sending to Zone's trucks to the R e g i d Bunau to pick up textbooks). Nevertheless, the principle of bypassing the Zones remained popular. The workshop ended with an agreement to have a vote at the third workshop, aad the two distribution propoeals were written up by Zonal Ebation Officers who wae on opposing sides of the debate, and then distributed to participants at the subscqunrt workshop.

The third workshop was the fmt one at which the rqmmtative of the R e g i d C o d for the education sector attended. After a long a d comtious debate, which, near the end, one participant attempted to delay the vote and reconsider the mth issue again, the Regional Council m e m k ordered a vote. Signifbmtly, the workshop now ovnwhclmingty supported the secand propoeal, which retained the Zones in the book distribution chain.

Two issues help explain this dramatic fanuabouc the failure of the first proposal to a d d m the tiamport limitations of the Region, and the influence of the Bureau, which now was united in suppoiting the second proposal, over those participants working at levels below them. Please refa to Anna N to examine the three book distribution-related documents that members of the education system produced.

BESO Decentralization Study in Region: Final Report

Two " B d Visions"

At the fourth workshop, the subject of the workshop discussion was kept a secret from those invited. The subject was "How arc decisions ma&?", and the open-ended nature of the subject meant that this was the only workshop that ended without any voting on a specific decision.

The dimusion was dominated by repmmtatives from the Regional Bureau. Mauy had assumed that they would be debating proposed solutions for a second educational problem. Instead, they were conhnted with fmdings that described examples of issues that interviewed officials from ntd schools sought more decision-making authority wer. These included the desire to offa grades 7 and 8 at rural nchools and pamit the double shift system to apply to small ntd schools (both of these policies commonly perrain to urban schools in Tigray). Ibe p d o m h m t n#ponrc fkom members of the Bureau was that this was policy, and policy had alnrdy been d&d, dimmed at v a i m levels, and voted upoa. 'Lhe i n f m w a 9 t h a t i t w a s i n a p p r o p r i a t e t o d i ~ p l i c y ~ i o n s l d t a ~ h a d . I n s d y k e n ~ Neartheend of the worknhop, however, I M t e d the authors of the book distriion propods to come up with their own '%isionsm for a ~~ education system.

The results were prwarted at the fifth and final workshop, and 3day affair that drew substantial nat iod and regional press coverage. The third day was reserved for the basic vision proponah. The mqective authors of each vision were accorded nearly an hour to present their ideas (see Annex 0).

The two visions conrained significant differences. While one prqmal envisioned a &ccntralhd education system as one in which the Regional Bureau retained the lion's shan of decision-making authority but improved its ability to receive infcnmation and views about -ions fian the levels below it, the second proporal in- the decision-making authority of the lowa levels, and decreased the influence of the Regional Bureau. In addition, it foaued upon job daaiptions, not on the flow of information baween levels.

Although the a u h of t h e two visions offered to develop a compFomirre document, the majority of the workshop participants voted for a camnittee, ccmtaining one rcpmmmcive each from the Region, Zone, and Woreda, to &veAop ramc phcip1ca f a &cenmbtion. 'Ihe W and Regional replesentatives held views that were so diffamu, however, that they rnmounced to the workshop parti* that findiug a r e a s f o r c o m p m m k w r s ~ b k " . Inthe~anagrcan~11tof~priorit ieswa8develapadby workshop participants, and the wurbhop eDded (ree Annar P).

The final workshop revealed two Felated and imporcant charactaistics about the Tigrayan education system:

A drrrmatic division existed between thore who f a v d a v d o n of &centdimion which retained the Rqionai Bunau's &sting level of i n f l w and aufhority (moat of whom, not 8-ingly, worked at the level of the Bmeau), d tbore who favored a system that &volved a rn- authority to each level of the c&atioaal rystan. The divide between thcac two "visions' of decentdimion was~edaarogr88t~ tbemajor i ty ~~mabktonqptiatcacompomibe.

E q u a l l y Q s m s t i c d i d l - e x i u i n w h M ~ ~ ~ ~ a ~ ~ s y ~ t a n d d a f f e c t Inthecase of the two virianr, one empbaid informtion flows that connected the four leveb, while the other emphasized how authorities and m~bilities should be sepunned betweco the lev&.

BESO Decenealization Snudy in Tigray Region: F d Report

6. Recommendations

A. Advancing the De!centrrliution Process

How can the decentralization process be further supported and advanced? Here are tcn categories of recommen&tions:

1. Workshops, and the research-anddiscussion approach, have raised expectations, both of BESO's interest in dccm'tralization, and in how members of the system can be involved in the decision- making v s s of deccntdizing their education system. Therefore, the following measures should be considered:

BESO project members, and their colleagues within the Tigrayan education system, need to continue "selling" the bendits of decentralization, by continuing to nfa to those ideaci that proved XI

constructive at the d c c c n e t i m workshops. T b c include: the belief that decentralization can enhance system efficiency and responsiveness to the noads of schools, thar it can lighten the considerable load on administrators at the top of the system (and, as a consequence, perhaps even make their jobs more enjoyable), and that local infomation helps makc good local decisions. Such efforts could he@ facilitate the proass of dialogue about dccenaalidon that the workshops facilitated.

Recognizing that communication across more than one level of the system is cunzntly limited (Region diredy to Woreda, for example) but potentially imporrant to the creation of a viable and generally acceptable deceaaalized system, BESO personnel should continue to consult with members of the Tigrayan education systemfnmt every be1 ((from schools to the Regional Bureau), rud every geogmphic Zone, of the education system, to enhance not only the systan's awararecls of the dcxmuaiization process (and BESO's commiment to continue Npporting it), but to continue communicating the ideas of educators at the lower levels of the syrtrm to thoee at the ligray Education Bureau and the Regional Council. Educators at there lower lev&, in rum, will very interested in learning about the latest ideas and plans that are &g h their regional capital. In addition, since the involvanent of people at their level of the educatioa system in policy decisions thar directly affect their jobs remains a new developmeat, BESO needs to help support i t

Use the uakshop process, and products, as the starcing point for framing further discuscrion about d e c e n w o n of the education system. It should be remanbered (by BESO ptnronnel and T i y a n educators alike) not only that the workshops produced highly significant results, but, in addition, thm the workshop results came ditecrlyfnmt members ofthe T i g r a p education sysfem. T~IC workshop "products" @lease refa to Annexes N, 0, and P) can now be used as 'bhchmarks" to frame future discussions and consi&rations of further dewatralization measures.

2. It is important that this report, in m e translared form, gets distributed directly tofinal wwkshop mc ipm woss the ngion. Without this, it will be mod difficult to access the pocess that this r c s c a x h - a n ~ s i o n appoach has initiared, and umtinuc to mwe it fmard. It must be understood that this approach Qcw a genaally positive, and often quite enth-c, zupmsc from workshop mcipanm, particularly those from the "lower levels" of the system (school and Wanda). Again, their ability to be directly involved m the proass of change in their e d d o n system is appmatly unpmcedcnted, and so this proass shwld be supporred

3. BESO pcmomel should learn more, and, if possibk, advise the R e g i d E d d o n Bureau's Managanent Committee with regard to their deliberations over the new thiw-five W o m b Education Offices being planad This could help to advance the d e c a 1 ~ 0 0 procaw, since the implications of these reforms on the w d functioning of the education systan could be considerable. BESO should negotiate their presence in this process with care, m case memkrs of the committee, and perhaps even

BESO Decenhdhtion Study in Tigray Region: Final Report Page 24

members of the Regional Council, an concerned about outside influences. BESO personnel could thus investigate how they can best support the p a s . One idea would be to help further the system's awareness of how changes at one level of the education system affect the others - an issue that was considered repeatedly during the recent workshops.

Once Woreda Education Office responsibilities arc created, threc related steps could be considaad:

'Ihe Woreda Education Officers will need to be trained to paform their new jobs. It is vay important to remautter that thaw officers, who arc soon to be handling a significant pmportion of the direct administxative duties in support of schools, comprise an almost entirely untrained workforce.

Exploring how the development of responsibilities and authorities for the new Woreda E d d o n Offices will affect tbe mqxmsibilitics and authorities of those positioned immediately above (the Zones) and below (the schools) would be an &vor that may prwe useful f a both BESO p a ~ n n e l as well as manben, of the Regional Education Bureau Examiniug the new inmect ions might also become an avenue for urpkning the development of rpacific job descriptions. 'Ibis action could thus be m a to the following point (W).

4. Hold a workshop (or act of wcnhhope) to map out bow decisioll~ about the new Woreda Education Offices might affect the responsibilities and authorities of the otha three levels of the system. What wilUshould the authorities and responsibilities of each level become? How is this process n&itcd to those principles raised at the previous five BESO daxamlization workshops ( q u a n efficieacy, good local information helps make good local decisions, putting the school on top, system responsiveness, quality of education, etc.)?

5. In addition to this, it may be useful for BESO to conduct a study (piups even a joint study, combining carefully seleaed members of the education qstan with BESO pmonnel andlor consultants). The study could start before and finish rfta the workshops - in orda explorefmap out the job description issue, and co~tinuc the d ~ ~ o n proars that this mcaxh ~ v o r has advanced, by retaining the ~ ~ s i o r ~ approach. The phary difference in focus, howeva, would be that this second nsearch pmjoct would contain an ageDdr for developing apdfic job dcscriptim and tasks.

6. Use Ehe ~ ~ s i o n method for future pmblans end succasa. It will be helpful to keep in mind that people hen arc now familiar with this approach. It thus can be called upon in the future. 'Ihe mcmh-don eppioach described hae, even in a modified form and for a more limited timeframe, would probably yield quite useful mula. Hae are thee ways that this method could be re-applied:

To work through boUla~& in the daxntrabation proass.

To rmphsk suuxms in the d c c a ~ ~ o n ppcey and relate them to the themes that were used previwsly (cf6ci~cy, mpcmivenecls, putins the rchool on top, ac, etc.). It should be nmanbaed that the fast four work~hopo in this endeavor dnw a lot of aacntion from membas of the education qstan. The6salarorMopamanedahighdepofnationalMd~dWonto deancrabtion. A follow-up works@ that reflected on past s- and atmnt challenges now befm the educational system could be a useful way to ciFculate critical new infamation and further open up the discussion to include qmcntatives from evay kvel of the education system.

Workshops could also be useful to mtinuc to making ~~ between (1) quality of education, and (2) the on of the education synan. Making direct ~ 0 0 8 between education system policies and the leaming pmccss is an iww that clearly requires additional emphasis. These workshops could also include a d i d o n about the implications of proceeding with policies that

BESO Decentralization Study in Region: Final Repon

favor access over quality so dramatically. I found this to be a difficult issue for people to grapple with, and so another focused workshop on this issue could prove to be very useful.

7. Continue to emphasize the positive qualities in the system (the high level of overall effort by members of the system, their ability to experiment and test changes, their accomplishments in field of access, their success in dcccnUalizing the system, and so on).

8. Consider using one zone to "test" aspects of a new, decenaalized approach. It might be useful to query the Regional Council and the Regional Education B u m about this. They may be somewhat reticent about the idea However, if they were included in the pnxxss itself, they might agree.

Should this be possible, I would recommead starting fmt in the Westem Zone, for one important reason. Shire is the most remote Zoaal capital. More important. Humam (and the entire section of the Zone located West of the Tekcze Riva) is by far the ranotert gaogqhical area in the region. As a consequence, dcccntraWng the educational system in support of the unusual educational needs of Humara could prove quite helpful to s m t s thm.

9. BESO should continue to h i u g h t the implications of emphasizing policies that strengthen access o v a policies connected to issues of quality.

10. ?be problem of maps. At fmt glance, this issue may appear to be only distantly connected to the problem of decentralization. But if the emphasis on 'visualking' decmtralization is recalled as a feature of this approach, then it may be useful to note that the Tigrayan education system lacks any accurate maps of their region? It is thus more difficult for people in the system, and particularly at the level of the Bureau, to keep the problems of distant and remote H\rmara, for example, at the forefront of their conccms, if Humrm! is m l y "seen". In addition, having an mxratc map of the -an is something that interests psople at all levels of the education systun. A aaiible map could also benefit personnel involved with distribution t a b (as well as gcogmphy reachers).

B. Recomaendations from the Rcscveh Outpot

Conducting such extensive rcacarch on problems relssing to hasic education in Tigray creates a long list of reoommendations. Jn the intuws of facilitating the education system's psioxithition of educational problans, hue arc what the Study Team considas the most immediately pressing issues: '

Access and Eqnity

Double shifting and making grades 7 and 8 available to rural school children ~IZ both related to access and equity. As it stands, existing policies favor urban srudeats (most of whom at least have the opportmity to emoll in grades 7 and 8). But they also favor students from (relatively) less poor households in two ways:

Sincea~tmcmys~~1innaalrrreasmutooaamute20Lms.ormoretoaaendgrades7rund8, those coming fiwn families with sufficient means or connections to allow the sadeat to live near the school have a much better chance of completing grades 7 and 8.

Many xural p&rcnts told us that mom of their children could attend elementary school, and those that attended could ranain in school for a more sustained period, if rhey didn't have to anead school for

7 This fact can also explain why a map does not accompany this report. 8 Please note that additional recommendations are included in many of the annexes written by members of the Study Team.

BESO D e ~ ~ t d z a t i o n Study in Tigray Region: final Report

the full day. Our workshops found that this issue is hotly contested by members of the education system. However, it should be carefully considered, for there arc at least two options:

(a) It could make the drive to increase access more cost-effective, by allowing twice the number of students into schools (one shift in the morning, one in the afternoon), while maintaining existing levels school staff and facilities. This, in tum, could free up resources curmtly w e d for building coasmiction, which could be used to furLher enhance educational quality.

(b) If the drive to maintain the entire cuniculum for all students (in support of ideas of educational quality and existing policies and investmc11ts) is strong, then a second option could also be consider& the aitical subjects - those that the educational system is struggliae to advance in its book produaion and distribution drive (English, Math, and History)

- could be Eaught in the m&g. h e of the remidug comes (physical lulllmtinn. home m o m i s , and so on) auld k m bdcame clecciva tht are held in the afttmoons. This change could allow for far mare studa~ts being able to acrend elanentary sc6ool (although it may mean that only students from less poor families in rural areas would be able to talre the elective corn).

The implications of favoring access ova quality needs to be s t d , both in budgetmy terms and in terms of having to edQws issws of quality (supplies, teacher uaining, etc.) in the aftermath of doubling elementary school amllment in the coming five yam.

A reform of the distribution of cducahnal mataials was achieved at the third workshop. Follow-up nee69 to be made to see how this reform is affecting dimibution. In addition, the problem of book pmductim will not recede until it is actively addmud Without aramiaing the problems of continuing to have books published in the capital of Ethiopis, Addis Ababa, thm will continue to be an inadequate and irregular supply of mataials reaching the schools.

One method for immediately enhancing the conml of schools ova issues of school quality is to hold uaining/awarcnw workbps (which, in accordawe to the dccmuahrion approach started by the Study Team, could alm include participnats from the otha levels of the educational system) on how to improve educational quality now. F a example, 8cating for could be made more comfortable (a bench made of stones is marc am&cive to learning than one stone per student), geaing t e a c h to use available teaching aids, and getring than to teach withoat extauhive writing on the board, could all help advance the lcarning process in classrooms.

'Zhc notable lack of mining for Wonda Education Officus was rarcly mentiolsed by workshop participane as a problan that Dseds to be addremd Thc Study Team, however, is amcaned that this need will con- to be ovdooked (please refer to Seaion 6A, point #3 for more information).

These two areas of the c&a&d aystan in Tigray are so uDdasupported that it would probably be useful to reassess their purpose and potential. If radio teacher guides, much l a s rsdio1, are m often absentfmmc~,mdiftbcbroadcartschedulecenaotbe coordinMed with class schedules, then paheps its w d utility and =parse should be reccmsidaad

It might also be useful to reflect on the existing state of SFCs. At present, few elerneamy schools appear to have developed a can of teaching aids in their SPCe. Furthexmort, whea they are present, the Study Tam found that teachers do not often take advantage of thun. Finally, the Study Team found very little tangible evidence (in the form of actual teaching materials) that would suggest that the education system

BESO Decentdimion Study in Tigray Region: Fii Report Page 27

has made supporting these centers a priority. As a consequence, it appears that a reassessment of the issue of teaching m-Mals -- how they are developed, supported, and most important, used - should be carefully considered by BESO personnel and members of the education system, including those at the Teacher Training Institute in Adwa.

Teaclu'ng Issues

At workshops, the call for improving teacher training was nearly universal, and it is reflected both within the minutes (Annex M) and in the Final Workshop Consensus (Amex P). The Study Team sfmngly supports this call for improving teacher training. In addition, since BESO is a h d y committed to long- term support of this educar id nad, the following womm-s rrre submitted here:

While in-service teacher aainings an b c i i developed and implemented, it may be useful to keep the following two issues in mind. Firat: Tigrayan aducators should aalc themelves whetha copying from the board constitutes learning. If copying is the primary classroom activity carried out by the elementary school students in Tigray, the product of that activity must be saiously coasidmd. And if it does not constitute learning, then what is the lasting effect of elcmeatary school education on the lives of Tigrayan students? These two questions are critical for the Tigrayan education system to address and respond to, pmhltirly as they consider not only teaching issues, but how learning is comected to the process of decentralizing their system.

The value and utility of textbooks needs to be directly address6d. How should teachas ust textbooks and teacher guides in classes? In addition, it should be noted that some teachers and school dheckxs in Tigray ny to limit srudent access to school de& and textbooks because students ''ruin" them. This attitude is apparently fairly widqred, and, as it is not conducive to c n h n h g educational quality, the maaer should also be addressed in worksbops and mining sessions.

H m are two other recommendations related to improving the basic education system in =gray:

Many Tigrayan parents of elementary schools students have a very poor grasp of what education is. This issue is particularly impntant because the Study Tam has found that a great many parents see education as a means of getting a government job, not in becoming a better farmer. Thus, in considerations of curriculum issues, as well as those relating to opening up school decision-malting to local communities, it should be remanbad that p m t s can not only participate, but rhey need to be better informed about essential issues relating to the utility of ducation.

One of the key fmdings about educational materials is that their distribution is both uneven and irregular. BESO could makc an immediate and positive cantribution to equity by: (1) developing simple formulas that can facilitate the even and fair distribution of educational mataials to ail schools, and (2) training people m the education systcm in how to use them prom.

BESO Decentralization Study in Tigray Region: Final Report page 28

The products of the five workshops that were a central part of this research endeavor should be used as very important * ' b c n c ~ for framing and furthering the decentralization process. They art very real and substantial accomplishments, and represent concrew evidence of the Tigrayan education system's commitment to, and direction of, the decmtralimion process.

Finally, an equally important output from the workshops is the fact that the workshops themselves increased the pmicipaticm, awareness and accqtance of the need and purpose of dcccnrxalization reforms. 'Ihe woxltshop oquts (Amacs N, 0, and P), all produced by manbas of the education system, as well as the minutes of all workhp discussions (Anuex M), should be used as the amtext and starting point for furttmhg the prooesl, of a t d i z i q the baaic education system in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.

BESO Decenaalization Study in Region: Final Report

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30

............................................................................ 6

............ .......__ 13

17 Hire pi

22 plan Q.'s

19 con- aact

JULY Addid Mekelle

120 121 1 22

.......................

SaveUS 25 '

q w . &ag.

proj. r. 26 planeg

16

...... ...G :VE. 31 Meeting at Reg. Ed. Bur. 7 staff meting

....................................... 14 2 d fidd work

..............-.

rescarcbr 24 Ato Amare

Meklle metin 27 plantrg. and

MekeUe

20 1 21

23

23

Dr.Marc to

..P.& 1 trg. & plan 1st +E 8 wns- late data .̂..... 15 21uJ add work ......................................................................................................................................................

24

1

plan study/

5 1st ildd work 12 finish analysis &report ................................................................ 19 - 1st

...&a 26

.......................... 2 trg. & p h 1st trips 9 trans- late data __........... 16 2nd field work

3

...................... d

8

............................ 6 1

............ ...!F+ 3 1st fieid work ................................................................-....-.-- 10 d y z e data

...-.-.......................... 17 2nd 5eM work

Coder's Name Date

1) Nameof Zone

2) Nameof Wgtda

3) Name of School in grade level

4) Type of school

5 ) Teacher's recordnumber .

6) Age (by-)

7) sex m e 0 I 8) Year of m i c e as a teacher

9) Qualification

10) Courses taught in that school

1 1 ) Language of insauction during training period

12) Institution and Location of craiaing

13) Languages spoken well

14) If not a graduate of ?TI, specify how and whm aaining took place?

15) How many periods &you teach pa day? ma.

16) How many periods do you teach pa week

17) How many diffumt subjects do you teech?

18) Doe the rcbool have a shift syatun? y" 0 19) If the answer to 18 ir yes, in how many diefexcnt shifts do you teach?

"O 0 20) How Eer away & you live iiam the s&ooI?

2 1) Whcn have you bees working for the last 10 years' (wak hiruory)

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESIlONNAIRES

Year lype of work

7

Place of work

22) Check presence of teacher guides for courses taught

23) Check pmmcc of syllabi for o ~ ~ s e s taughf

Presence of teahce guide (Yes, No) Courses

24) Number of visits by so- for classroom inspaaim.

Grade level

Presence of syllabi (Yes, No) Courses taught

25) Have you benefited from tbe bpcaioa of your class roans? Yes 0

Grade Level

26) If your answer to 25 is Yes, in what way?

By whom Year 1991m 1992193 1993194

, 1 m

28) If yow answer to 27 is Yes, who gave you this eaining? (list Name of institution)

Number of visits

29) For how long have you bum given the mining? (or how to use the teachas guides?)

30) Do you use teaching aids?

3 1) If your answer to 30 is Yes, which teaching aids do you use most often?

32) If your answer to 30 No, explain why?

33) Which teaching aids arc most helpful?

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

34) How m y studeats do you teach in one class? Max. Min.

35) What do you think is the largest distance that students m e 1 fmm hame to school (single trip)

36) What do you think is the avaage distance that the majority of rrPal sadeats opvel fm h e to you r school?

Most helpful teaching aids Subject

37) Does the school calendar fit the local farming calendar (e.g. harvesting etc.)

Grade level

38) How & you thbk the school calendar can correspond with the fanning schedule?

39) Who decides what the school calendar & schedule will be?

40) What miteria are used in detcming and deciding thc school calendars and schedule? (by those who decide)

41) How is your teactuag activity evaluated? By what method?

42) Who makes the evaluation?

43) Do you get feedback for your evaluation?

44) If your answer to 44 is Yes, in what form do you get this feadbeck?

45) If the feedback that you receive helpful? 0 Why? or Why not?

46) How o h & you use ndio lawns?

Always twice a week

Always uia a week

Always when thae is radio broadcast - n

Sometilncs

I have never uded

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUEmONNAIRES

47) If the radio timetable conflicts with your classroom timetable, what do you do to solve the problem?

48) Do radio lessons enrich classroom teaching, or simply replace what the teacher does?

Yes they emich 0 Simply replace

49) Do you have adequate numbers of radio sets in the school? n

How many?

50) Out of all the radios you have in the school, those which work

, those which do not work

5 1) In general, who do you think are the two biggest educational problems in Tigray region?

52) Why do you think that these two problems are the most significants?

53) Have you &ought about ways that these two problems could be solved? Pleaac explain in detail?

54) What would help you the most in improving teaching in your claclsroam?

55) In your opinion, what arc the two molt suious pobluns for yora stuckas today?

56) What do you think arc t&c nlajor reasons why p a t s send their children to school?

57) What do you think arc the major muons why parents do not send their children to school?

58) Why do you thiuk thal sane children drop out of school?

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESllONNAIRES

QUESTIONNAIRE No. 2.

CONDITION OF THE SCHOOL-PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS BY

RESEARCHERS, -RATORS, OR INTERVIEWERS

Coder's Name Date

1) Name of zone

2) Name of wcrcda

3) Name of school & grade level

4) Type of school

5) hscna and condition of school building

6) Condition of school gmmds

7) Conditionof cl-

8) Condition of classsrnrm furniture (chairs & desks, broken, rwgh, &.)

9) Condition of chalk b o d s

- -

10) Classroom c lcaol in~

11) FmmIce & condition of wall charts, models, bulktin, boards, ac.

12) Pmcnce and d t i m of d o

14) Rcance of geographic and mathematical quipmeat such as maps, globes,

15) FmmIa and condition of library facilities

- F

16) Presence of school pedagogical centers

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES Page 35

- -~

17) Condition of school pedagogical centas in tenns of availability of materials, condition of materials, etc.

18) Presence, number and condition of latrines

19) Pnsence of water and sanitation condition

20) Iist any otha unu11ual observations

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

QUESTIONNAIRE No. 3 SCHOOL DIRECTORS/HEADS

Coder's Name Date

2. Name of zone

4. Name of school and grade level

5. Record No. of director /o&cr

6. Age

7. Sex I Female 1-1

9. Qualification

10. Where have you been w o r m for last 10 years? (work bistary)

1 1. 'Ihe dinctor's activities performed during the last academic year?

LAST WEEK -

Type of work

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES Page 37

Place of work

name of Day

Moaday

MY

w-Y

'Ih-Y

Friday

Year

Auivities Paftmncd

LAST MONTH I I I

Activities Performed

Week 3

Week 4

12. From record (statement) total number of teachas in the school.

Male F d e Total

13. Total number of students in the school

14. Total number of students by sex & grade level.

-

October

Novemba

December

January I [ F c ~ I

March

April

May

Junc

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

Activiia Momled

page 38

15. Total number of students who dropout y grade level and sex.

Grade-

level

1"

zd

3='

4*

5*

6'"

Total

16. What is the general at~ndaaa record of your teaching staff of record)?

Number of students

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESIlONNAIRES Page 39

Male

Total Grade level

1 "

2d

3"

4t"

9

sQ

Total

Fanale Total

-

Dropout

Mak

-

Failed

Fanak Male Female

17. Regularity in attendance of students (presence of record).

18. How does the community participate in the affairs of the school?

19. How does the school participate in the affairs of community?

20. How do you monitor the class room activities of your teachers?

2 1. Do teachers nceive any supexvisory assistance?

yes 0 0 22. In your opiuion, do teacher8 use the available in their teaching?

23. How much does the community support the school? (school fees, construction costs, rents, etc.)

24. Textbook and teachex guides availability -students per book

25. Availability of all textbooks (except Amharic and English) in ligigna

26. Availability of Tigrigna reference books.

Ratio Grade Level

27. Why don't more childrea in the local community enroll at your school?

Subject

28. In your opinion, what motivated parents in your community to send their children ao your ~ h o o l ? Describe.

29. In your opinion, why Qn't some jmats send their children to school? Descxibc

30. What arc the problems of education that are most of than mentioned by community members?

- - - -- -

3 1. In your o?inion, what is the avaage distance that most students travel to school (One way)?

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESIlONNAIRES

32. What is the maximum distance that students travel to your school (one way)?

33. In general, what do you think are the two biggest educational problems in Tigray region?

34. Why do you think that these two problems are the most significaut?

35. Have you thought about ways that those two problems could be solved?

36. What would be help the mostin improving teaching in you school?

37. In your opinion, what are the two saious problems of your students today?

38. What do think that same childmn dropout of school?

-

39. What kind of statistics do you have about your school? (could we get copies of these statistics?)

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

QUESTIONNAIRE No. 4 Parents (Including Guardian)

Coder's Name Date

This questionnaire is answered by parents or quardian who

a) Send all of their children to school I b) Send some of their children to school

c) Send more of their children to school

Who is the penon you are inkmiewing?

Mother Father 1-1 Guardb W e 1-1 Funale T I Name of zone

Name of wereda

Name of school

Record numba of parentslpdian

Age (in full year)

Where have you been woPking for the last 10 years?

9. Size of land (in Tsimad)

10. Type of house

Ratio Grade We1

12. Number of Children

Subject

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUES'I'IONNAIRES

For those who enrolled in primary school now and who have been enrolled in primary school in the past list

their sex and age.

13. Why do you send you childlchildren to school?

14. Do you think that elementary education will be helpful to your children? Ye8 0 0 If yes how?

Enrolled now Age Code

-- pp - - - - -

15. What do you feel about your children's teachers?

Emolled in the past Sex

- -

16. Does the school satisfy your children's educatioaal need?

How?

17. Howmanyofyourctrildsengooorcbool?

Male Fcmaie

18. If you Wdo not ~ a r d your fanale child to rchool, what are the main rcasms.

19. Do you believe that the primrrry school is useful to your community?

Yes n

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

20. In general, what do you think arc the two major educational problems in Tigray region?

2 1. Why do you think that the two problems an the most significant

22. Have you thought about ways that these two prob1ems could be solved?

23. Have you suggest ideas that improve the lcaming teaching procedi?

24. In your opinion, what are the two most serious problems for students today?

25. Do you have a child who drop out of school?

0 If yes, what is the reason of the drop out?

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

QuESTIONbJAIRE No. 5 For Were&/Zone/Education Officials

Coder's Name Date

Region bumlu 0 Name of zone

3. R d number of the officials

4. Age

5. Sex

6. Year of service

7. Qualification

8. Whm have you been working for the last ten years?

- 9. Please desaibe your activities for the last week.

ANNEX B : RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

--

Name of the day

M ~ Y

-Y

w-Y Thursda

M Y

Page 45

Activities Paformed

10. What kinds of activities did you hope to get done, and could not get to last week?

1 1. Why w m you not able to get than done?

13. What kind of activities did you hope to get done, and could not get to last month?

Please describe your activities for the past month.

- -

14. Why wm you not able to get than done?

Week

1' Weck

2d week

15. Please describe your activities o v a the past year.

Avtivities Performed

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

Name of month

Septermber

Oaobcr

Navemba

December

Jmuary

F- M8rch

April

May

Jun

July

August

Activities Pafonncd

16. What kind of activities did you hope to get done, and could not get to this year?

17. Why w m you not able to get than done?

-

18. What does the Regional Educalioo office expect you to do? (If you are a zonal officer)

19. Do you believe that their expectations are realistic?

20. What does the zonal FmlrJltiaa ogia expect you to do? (If you are a wmda offioa)

21. Do you believe that their expectations are realistic? Pleese explain (If you are a wcrcda officer)

22. What do the school direaors in your wada expect you to do for them? (If you are a waeda offica).

23. Do you believe that their expectations are &tic? Please explain (If you are a wcruia officer).

24. What do the rcbool communities expect you to do far W(If a w e d officer).

25. Do you believe that their expectations are &tic? Please explain (If a werda offica).

26. What are the major impedimats /problans that binder your ability to carry out your job?

27. In your opinion, what do you think are the best things that are going well in your wereda/zone/Region?

28. In gmcd, what do you think are the two biggest education problems in mgray Region?

29. Why do you think are th#e two problems the most significant?

30. Have you thought about ways that some of the problaus could be solved? please atplain in detail

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES page 47

3 1. What do you think are the two biggest problems in the school of your wmdalmnt/Region?

32. What would help you the most in improving teaching in the school of your wgtdalzone/ngion?

33. In your opinion, what are the most serious problans for the students of your wendalmndrtgion today?

-- -

34. What do you think are the major reasons why parents send their children to school?

35. What Q you think are the major reasons why parents do not send their children to school?

36. Why do you thinlr that some children Qopout?

37. What kind of statistics do you gather about the primary schools in your Wereda/one/Educatioo Blaeau could

we get copies of these statistics?

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

QUESTIONNAIRE No.6 Questions About Pedagogical Centers.

Coder's Name Date

1. Have the school /WEO/ZEO/Pdagogical anm officials got aainiag on how to use the pedagogical anter?

2. Do the pdqogical center officials have familiarity with the mMerials in the centa? If yes, in what way?

3. What is the future pmspcct of the pedagogical centen? Do you have any plan to expand -t?

4. What general thoughts do you have about the use, importance, problem ac. of e d ~ o n a l centers?

Use:

Importance:

Problems:

5. Does the s c h o o U W ~ system have/malte inspeaion of the pedagogical centafs)? If yes, how?

6. Do all the schools have school pedagogical centas (if wmdalzoba official)?

7. How many schools have pedappd centers?

8. How many schools dm' have pedagogical centers?

9. How much do of l ids know about the iutent and amtent of pedagogical centers?

A) Intent (objective)

--- - -

B) List down the matdab that fairly quip pedagogical center?

10. Appcanmcf of the padrrgogical center.

A) goodwP-=cf

B) fair appearance

C) looks like a store

D) It is a messad up s t m

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

11. How are the - teaching materials preserved?

A) accepatble

B) not acceptable

C) in a very bad condition

12. From your observation the pedagogical center has fairly

A) enough materials for teaching most subjects.

B) is poorly equuJped

C) can haxdly be called a pedagogical center.

13. Most instructional materials available in the pedagogical center arc

A) --Y prep@

B) ptepared at the school

14. 'Ihe mual budget of the pedagogical center is

15. The source of the budget is

A) government

B) community

16. Level of pedagogical center

A) school level pedagogical ccnter

B) wereda level pedagogical center

C) zonal level pedagogical anter

ANNEX B: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES

FINAL W O R K S H O P USAID 1 BESO Decentralization Study - Mekelle, Tigray; Ethiopia

M ~ ~ , - J ~ ~ - wedn&y, 2-4 October. 1995 1 2 1-23 Meskerrm, 1988 WorlrshoD Prwram

Day One of Fmal Worksbop: Monday, 2 October 121 Meskerpm 9:OO am. Introduction/Welcome - Dr. Marc Sommets, USAlWBESO 1 0 minutes

9 1 0 am. Opening Speech I - Dr. Solomon Enquay, Head Social Services Sector, Regional Council of Ttpy 10 minutes

9:20 am. Opening Speech I1 - Dr. James Willieans, USAID-Washington 10 minutes

- BREAK (Bcso is served) - 30 minutes

10:OO am. Pmcntation I - Introducing the Rcacarch, and some general findings; Dr. Marc Sommas, Dccmualization Specialist, USAID/BESO 30 minutes

10:30 am. F%esmtation I1 - Perceptions of Educational Problems in Tigray; Ato Amare Asgedom, Project Researcha (Addis Ababa University) 20 minutes

1050 am. PFeSentaaion III - Repan on the pedasogical Centers; Aakale Gcbrc Egziabha (Tigray EduauionBmau) 15 minutes

11:05 am. Reamtarim IV - Repon on Imues of Acass and Equity; Taklay Teafay, Field Interviewer (Mdrelle B u s k College) 20 minutes

11:25 am. F % e s m m t i ~ n V - R e p o r t ~ n h ~ e ~ ~ f ~ t y ; W e Abnha, Fiild Interviews (Mekelle Businas College) 20 minutes

11:45 F d Comme~& - Dr. Marc Sommers, Dcca.ltrdimion Specialist, USAIWBESO 10 minutes

1155 - 1:OO pm. - LUNCH - 1h0ur

1:00 - 2:30 pm. Questions d Cammenut A t o ~ A s ~ . C h a i r 1 1R hours

2:30 - 3:OO pm. - BREAK - 30 minutes - - --- -

3:OO pm. Workshop Rc~mtation - 'nu mdeoffn of Differat Appmcha to JkcCn-OD; Dr. James W i U m , USAID - Washington 15 minutes

3: 15 - 4: 15 pm. Workshop Discusion Ato Amare Asgsdola Chair 1 hour

4: 15 - 4:20 pm. Preview of the schedule for Day II, on Teaching and the Worredas 5 minutes End of Doy I.

ANNEX C: FINAL WORKSHOP PROGRAM page 51

Day Two of Final Workshop: Tuesday, 3 October ! 22 Meskerem

9:00 a.m. Introduction - The '%onom" of the System, Part I; Context for research on teachinflearning issues; Dr. Marc Sornmas, Decentralization Specialist, USAIDlBESO 15 minutes

9:15 a.m. Presentation I - Report on Teaching Issues I; Kinfe Abraha, Field Interviewer (Mekelle Business College) 15 minutes

9:30 am. haentation II - Report on Teaching Issues I& Talday Tedfay, Field Intesviewer (Mekelle Business College) 15 minutes

945 am. Questions and Comments - Ato Amare Asgedom, Chair 1 hour

10:45 - 11:15 am. - BREAK - 30 minutes

11:15 am. Introdwtion - The "Booom" of the System, Part IE Context for march on issues q a r d h g the Woredarr; Dr. Marc Sommcs, Dcccnmlization Spcciabst, USAIDlBESO 10 rninutcs

11:25 a.m. Resatation IXI- Rqxnt on Roblans and Pcfqcdves of Woreda Education Offi*; Ato Amare Asgedom, Project Researcher (Addie Ababa University) 15 minutes

11:40 am. Questions and Comments - Ato Amme Asgedom, Chair 35 minutes

12:15 - 1:15 pm. -LUNCH- 1 hour

1 : 15 - 1 :25 pm. Workshop Report - update on aurcnt concerns and is- regarding thenewroleof the WorsdaEmicationOffices; Ato R i b Maifin, Head, Department of Administmion and Finance, Tigray Educarim Bureau and Member of the Management C-ttee 10 minutes

1:25 - 225 pm. Workshop Discussioa on the new role of the Woredas Ato Anme Asgubm, Chair lhour

2:25 pm. Moving from the Woralas to the entin system: Previewing the Third and Final day of the Workshop Dr. Marc Sommas, Dccmtralimion SpeciaM, USAIWBESO 5 minutes

2:30 - 3:OO p ~ l . - BREAK - 30 minutes

E R ~ a

ANNEX C: FINAL WORKSHOP PROGRAM

Day Three of Final Workshop: 4 October 1 U Meskerem

9:00 am. Introduction - "Basic Visions" for a Decentd id Education System; Dr. Mw: Sommas, Decentralization Specialist, USAID/BESO 15 minutes

9:15 am. Presentation I - One "Basic Vision" Propod; Ato Haddush Gebru, Head, Ceneal Zane Educational Department 15 minutes

9:30 am. Fkantation I1 - A Second "Basic Visionn Pmpoeal; At0 Guesh Hadgu, Head, Ea8tcrn Zane Educational Dcpnrtment 15 minutes

9:45 am. Chatting the Two Visions; Dr. Marc Sommas, Decentralization Spcciabt, USAID/BESO 10 minutes

- BREAK - 30 minutes

10:20 - 12:W am. Quertians and Comments At0 Amare Asgedom, Chair 1hour&

40 minutes

12:OO - 1:OO pm. - LUNCH - 1 hour

1:00 - 2:00 pm. F d Resolutions on the "Basic Vision" of a ~~ Education syuan for T1gray Region At0AmaFcAsgedom,Chair 1 hour

2:OO pm. Closing Speech I - At0 Seged Abraha, USAID-Ethiopia 5 minutes

2:05 pm. Clo6ing Speech I1 - Wezao Aragarh Adane, Executive Sccruary of the Reajonrl C o d of?"- 5 minutes

2: 10 - 2:30 pm. - BREAK -

ANNEX C: FINAL WORKSHOP PROGRAM

A Report of the BESO Program Decentralization Study

- Access and Equity of Education in Selected Schools of Tigray - September 28,1995

by Teklay Tesfay & Fertdt Ali Mekellc Bllsiness College

Access deals with such questions as the number of studeats enrolled in schools; the reasons for e a r o h m t and not enrollment; and the number who are retained m schools; the number who drop out and why. Equity seeks to identify differences baween female and male students; and between studeats m on-theroad as compared with off- theroad Sch00ls. Before taking up these issues, however, l a us first &tine some important terms that will be used throughout this Wort-

(1) h - themad schools - schools found up to 3 luns from all-weather roads

(2) Off-the-road schools - schools found at least 3 lans away fmm all-weather roads

(3) Main road - All-weather mads that connect wcrtda towns.

(4) Female Participation - females as a m t a g e of total enrollmeat

(5) Dropout - Students who kave school before the end of the academic year.

1. ENROLLMENT

'Ihe following tables show the total number of students emolied in the surveyed schools by sex and grade level in each of the zones. These tables show the female to male ratios by grade level and diff~tllas in these ratios across me$.

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQUITY: FINAL REPORT Page 62

Table 1 a Enrollment m Five Observed Schools, 1 9 9 M School Year, Eastern Zone

Total

1587

1130

99 1

936

233

Grade Level

1

2

3

4

5

7 p m t a g e

Female

40

38

37

29

29

Fanaie

642

434

369

270

67

Male

60

62

63

7 1

71

Male

945

696

622

666

166

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQUITY: FINAL REPORT

ANNEX E: ENROLLMEW AND E Q W : FINAL REPORT

Table 1eEwollment in Two Observed Schools, 1994495 School Year, Malralle SuttZone I I 1 I I li

3

4

5

6

TOTAL

Grade

H Male

689

572

161

125

2942

Female I W e I

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQUlTY: FINAL REPORT

785

887

383

162

3667

1474

1459

544

284

6609

47

39

30

44

45

53

61

70

56

55

11 TOTAL 111830 1 14403 1 26233 1 45 1 55 11

'Ihe following fmdings can be singled out from these statistics.

(1) In all mum, the percentage of females is higher in the lower grade levels, and becomes lowe and . lower the higher the grade.

(2) The aggregate percentage of fanale and males of the four zones (and MaLalle &ZMIC) is 45% and 55% respectively. Thus, thae arc morc male students in the surveyed 8chools than fanale mdcnts. This panern is the case in all zones except in the Mabde Sub-Zoae, whge the pacmtage of femaks is higher than that of males.

(3) Looking at gender equity acnm m e s shows the following picture:

* In the Eastan zone, females constitute 36% and males 64% of total enrollment * In the Westein Zoae, fcmales account for 48% sod males 52%. * In the Southem Zone, females 47% and males 53%.

In the Central Zone, females 45% and males 55%. * In the Makalle SubZone. females 52% and males 48%.

According to the fiveyear educational plan of the Eastern Zone has the highest enrollment d o , but the lowest pqortim of fanaks (375%). T&e Central Zone has the second highest pmporton of eligible children m l l e d in school, but the d lowest rate of female participation (41.7%). 'Lhe Sou- Zone has the second lowest eamllma~t ratio, whik Western Zone has lowest. 'Ihw zones show relatively high ratcs of female participation, 45.0% and 44.7% mpctively. Thus, there appears to be a negative comlation between enrollment ratios and female ptWicipatioa That is, as enrollment ratios increase, the pmportitm of total enrollment made up by females declinerr.

When gender equity is considered in trims of the on and off--road classification of schools, we frnd the following:

* In the Eastan Zone, the perantage of funales is quite low in both the on- and off-theroad schools, though it is extnmely low in the off-theroad schools (only 3 1%).

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND E Q W : FINAL REPORT Page

In the Western Zone, there is a significant difference in the female u, male ratio between the two types of schools. The percentage of females in the off-the-road schools is 52% and in the on-the-road schools, it is only 45%.

* In the Southern and Ceafral Zones, the female to male ratio in both the on- and off--road schools is quite similar. There is no ap-1e cliffmace.

* Looking at the aggregate of the four zooes, the percentage of female students in the on-theroad schools is 44% and the percentage of males is 56%. In the off-tharoad schools, the prrceatagc of females accounts for 42% and males 58%. Fmm this, we see that even though female participation is low in both types of schools, it is relatively better in the an-theroad schools.

Detailed statistics arc shown in the following tables.

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQUITY: FINAL REPORT

Table 2aEurollmcnt in Observed On-theRoad Schools, Eastern Zone (1 School)

61 1 3 102 145 247 4 1 59

4 59 177 236 25 75

5 6 49 55 11 89

Total

292

M t a s e Male

163

Gt.adc Level

1

Fanak

44

Fanale

129

Male

56

Table 2bEnrollment in Observed Off-thcRoad Schools. Eastern Zone (3 Schools)

ANNEX E: ENROLUlENT AND E Q W : FINAL REPORT

L

5

6

TOTAL

4

5

623

26

2 1

1357

30

26

1980

13

19

3 1

87

8 1

69

Grade I Lml

II

Table 2dEnrollment in Observed Off-thaRoad Schools, Western Zone (2 Schools) .2

Total

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQUlTY: FINAL REPORT Page 69

I I 207 162 369 56 44

Fanak

Grade Level

Male

Female Male Total

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQUTI"Y: FINAL REPORT

Female Male

1 182 201 383 48 52

2 154 187 34 1 45 55

3 99 93 192 52 48

4 49 54 103 48 52 I

5 - - - - - 6 - - - - -

TOTAL 484 535 1019 48 52

Table 2g Enrollment in ObQerved On-thcRoad Schools, Central Zone (3 Schools)

Grade -we Level Female Male Total

Femak Male

1 443 434 877 5 1 49

2 225 266 49 1 46 54

3 213 266 479 44 56

4 276 3 16 592 47 53

I 5 108 252 360 30 70

11 TOTAL 11373 1 1650 1 3023

ANNEX E: ENROLLMEIW AND EQUlTY: FINAL REPORT

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQUITY: FINAL REPORT

Table 2i Enrollment in Observed On-thaRoad Schools, All Zones (10 Schools) r

F d e Male

1 1081 1056 2137 5 1 49

Total Male Gradc Level

-rage Fanale

1.2 Reasons for Enrolhnent rad Non-Enrobat

Grade P-tage 1 lc~el Female

Female

l l

The data gathered and analyscd from the various zones suggest that ~ t s send their children to school so that they can get govarnnent anployment and lead relatively better lives (stated by 62% of the total responses). Twenty nine percent of the mpanses related to giving c- basic knowledge,

A total of 341 responses were given as to why parents do not send their childm to school. F i four perant of the respoases stawd chat pamu do not send their children to school because of econolnic and household problans. Nine- percent said pame are not aware of the he f i t s of modam education.

1

2

3

4

5

6

TOTAL

2 DROP-OUT AND EQUITY

Analysis of the dafa gathad from the obauved schools in the four zona shows the following picture of student dropout. Note that the percentages that follow are calculated by dividing the n u m k of children "dropping out" by the respective number of s a d e n u enrolled in each category.

1042

75 8

859

50 1

90

53

3303

The observed overall sardent dropout rate was 13%. The Eastan Zone shows the highest rate of student dropout (19%). and the Southan Zone the lowest (8%). In the Eastan and Cenual Zonet, the dropout raw, arc 15% and 11% respectively. In fact, the MakaUe SubZane shows the lowest w t a g c of dropout (3%).

Student attrition rate L highest in she fmt grade and is gmaally lower the higher the grade. Thac is no W l e dafamcc in the ratc of dmpout between female and male studam in the four

zones. In fact, the girl8 dropout L slightly greater than that of the boys in the Ewaa Westan Cenaal, and Malralle Zones. In the Soutkm Zone, however, it is slightly less than males. Acmes all four zones, however, dropout is the same for f d e md mole smdczts (13%).

Aggregated, Qopout L p a a l l y higher in off-thcmad schools (17%) than in on-thcroad schools (10%). This corresponds to the situation m the Eastern and Ceneal Zoned. However, the otha two zones show a different picture; Qopout in these un#r L higher m on-the-- schools dLan in off-tharoad schools. Derails arc shown in the following tables:

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND E Q W : FINAL REPORT

1171

lo00

1037

996

205

77

4486

2213

1758

18%

1497

295

130

7789

47

43

45

33

3 1

4 1

42

5 3

57

55

67

69

59

5 8

i

Table 3b Drop-outs in Eight 0bet.served Schools, Western Zone 11

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQUTIY: FINAL REPORT

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND E Q W FINAL REPORT

1 I 1

69

8

4

I/ Total

61

20

3

326

130

28

7

347

13

6

3

673

8

6

2

12

10

6

2

10 11

2.2 Reasons for Student Dn,P(kts

Percentage of Enrollment Female Male Total

The various respondents were asked to give their ideas about why some students drop out

(1) In the Eastern Zone, many respondents believe that students leave school because of out-migration and daily labour (36%). The stcond major reason mentioned are economic and household problems (3 1 %). The same pantin was found in the Central Zane.

1

(2) In the Westan Zone, respondeats gave economic and household p r o b l ~ ~ ~ s as the key mason for student dropout (24%). The second most ffqueat reasoa was out-migration and daily labour (2 1%).

656

23 1

212

2 19

6 1

39

1418

1

2

3

4

5

6

TOW

(3) In the Southern Zone, like the Western Zone, economic and household problems arc at the top (3W). Marriage is next (23%).

Across the four mum, the largest pmrmtage of rto- suggest that s t u b t s leave school because of economic and household problems (30%). Marriage (22%), and out-migration and c W y labour (22%) arc the second most important reasons for dropout

720

257

264

3 23

75

45

1684

ANNEX E: ENROLLMENT AND EQWI'Y: FINAL REPORT

1376

488

476

542

136

84

3102

Female

20

10

10

12

10

8

13

Male

23

10

10

12

6

6

13

Total

2 1

10

10

12

8 I

7

13

Fumnrruy Baseline Analysis - Qurlity war Findin@

by Kinfe Abraba & Fesseha Abadi Mekelle Business College

BESO BE on Study for Tigray Region, Ethiopia

The main factors which may influence, and which we used to measure, the temperatun of educational quality arc the teacher, the teaching materials, & school facilities and the students.

. . Teacher T m

1. Eighty four or 87% of the 97 teachers interviewed were graduates of Teacher Training Institutes 0.

2. None of the teachas interviewed have received any in-service mining since graduating from TI'I.

3. Of the 97 teachers interviewed, 46 said they could speak Tipigna, Amharic and English. However, 51 of than can not speak English well. Of these, 18 teach English in the elementary schools.

pachers' W o r k l d

4. On an average, a teacher teaches 3 subjects and 25 periods a well.

Table 1 Average number of subjects and periods that teachers teach pa week II I I rl

- -- -

5. Evar so, there arc some who teach more than three subjects and/or more then 28 mods a

Name of zone

I

week.

Avaage number of subjects taught by teachas in the okerved schools

ANNEX F: QUAISrY -- SUMMARY

EasternZone 3 i Western Zone 3 1 Southern Zone 4 Mekelle Sub-urne 2 Cenual Zone 3

II Subjeas Paioddwk Subjects

on of Teach-

6. On average, teachers in the observed schools axe inspected three times a year.

Eastern

Western

Southern

C e n d

Mablle

7. All of the teachers intaviewed said that radio lessons wrich the teaching-learning process. But half of the schools obecrved did not have radios.

3

3

4

3

3

Table 3 Average number of classroom inspections per year (1991/92-1994195).

Table 4 Availability of radios in the obsaved schools

Name of Zone

Eastanzone Wcstan Zone Southern Zone Makalle Sub-Zonc Ceneal Zone

Aggrtgatc

28

28

30

30

30

Avnage number of inspectiondyear

2 2 3 4 2

3

ANNEX F: QUALITY - SUMMARY Page

I -

1

1

1

1

1

Nutnbu of schools viaired

6

9

22

18

12

Schools with radios Percent of schools with radios

8. Of the 93 teachers interviewed, only 48 used radio lessons.

9. Additional investigation revealed that radio lessons do not have guides. Broadcasts arc often not clear, especially in the Western Zone.

10. Teachers an not distributed among zones and schools according to emollment

11. Observed teacher-student ratios averaged at the u>ne level range from 150 to 158.

12. Teacher-student ratios in the observed schools range from 1:27 to 1:82.

Table 5 Observed teacher to student ratios in the differeat zones of Tigray I, il

- - - - - - - -

13. Class sizes vary from 10 to 165. It was common to see more than 100 students in a class.

Zone

Central Southern Western Eastern

High:Low

14. All &ac&ers apper~ to p r e p y c d y , w#kly and daily lesson plans. Lesron plans are supposed to be checked by the department head and director.

AVW Ratio

150 130 150 1 :68

1.4

ZoDt

Southern W e s m

Central

Largest Smallest

ANNEX F: QUALITY - SUMMARY

Highest Ratio

1:60 1:73 1:82 1:74

1.4

w t Class-size

112 115 120 165

1 5

Lowest Ratio

1:27 1 :26 1:27 152

2.0

Smallest chtbs-size

20 30 15 10

2.0

High: Low

2.2 2.8 3 .O 1 :4

2.1

U C smallest

5.6 3.8 8.0 165

4 3

Evaluations -

15. 'Ihm is extensive evaluation in the schools. Students are supposed to evaluate teachers once per week. Home room teachen, also evaluate students once a week. Teachers meet as a group monthly to discuss students' ideas and their own. 'Ihese meetings are chaired by the director, and minutes are kept. Directors preparc perfonmince evaluations of teachas, using students' evaluations, teachers' comments and the mulrs of inspection.

pisaibution of Textbooks

16. There appears to be a shortage of textbooks throughout the region. The aggregate textbook to student ratio in the obsuved schools was 1:2.

17. Books are unevenly dimhnal across nmcs and grades.

18. In general, the higher the grade level, the lower the textbook to studeat ratio. The aggregate textbook-student ratios of g r w k ~ 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 arc 9:10,3:7, 1:3, 1:5,1:4 and 1:4, respectively.

Table 6 Textbook to student ratio in selected schools

If Southern 1 7:6 1 4:5 1 3:lO

Aggregate ratio 5

19. Within zones, textbooks are unevenly distributed

-

i'

Table 7 ?he average, highest and lowest textbook-student ratios observed within each zone 11 I I I h

Aggregate ratio by grade level

Eastern Southern Western Cenaal M a e

- I School Avaege School Ratio

ANNEX F: QUALITY -- SUMMARY Page 80

9:lO

L~wcst School Ratio

3:7 1:3 1 :5 1 :4 1:4 1:2

20. In general, the textbook to student ratio is greater in the on-the-road schools than the off-the-road schools.

Table 8 The distribution of textbooks in off-thcroad schools

ANNEX F: QUALITY -- SUMMARY

Table 9 Tbe distribution of textbooks on off-the-road schools

21. But s t i U the greatest variation is among schools and across grrdes.

on of Teachers h d e s , .

22. Teachers' guides are also unevenly distributed across schools. For example, tbm are more teachers' guides in Adi-Shihu Elementary School (Southem Zone) than the total number of teachas' guides in the five schools we visited in the Central Zone.

AN'NEX F: QUALITY - SUMMARY

Table lOTotal number of teachers' guides in five elementary schools of the Cenrral Zone: h-Daero, Maigua, Adi-

Aids and meal C m

23. Ftw pedagogical centers wen observed and had neither trained pasonnel nor adaquatc rooms. In the schools we visited, few inaccurate teaching aids were in use.

ANNEX F: QUALITY - SUMMARY

Latrines and Water

24. Sixty two percent of the schools visited have neither water nor lauine.

25. Many schools cany out teaching and learning in 'das' shelters, in which students sit on stones and have no desks. Most chalkboards are rough, broken, old, d and not level.

Table 12Presena and absence of water and lanine in observed schools

26. It appears that almost none of the elementary schools in Tigray have libraries. So, teachers and students have got little access to reading material.

27. 'Ihe average distance travelled by rural students from home to school is 5 1R kilometers. Same students walk morc than 20 kilomum one way.

Schools without either latrine or water

Table 13Maximm and average distances naveled by rural studa~ta from home to school (oae way) I /I

Total number of schools visited

11 I Distance uaveled by 8tuduu.s

Schools with water but without latrine

Schools with both latrine a d water

Schools with laoine but without water

Southern Weatern C e a d

Maximum

28. Students appear to faa many problems at home that affect their ability to learn - such as hunger, family responsibilities, lack of money to pay registration fees or buy seationery and other materials.

Avaage

29. Student8 also appear to face many problems at schools that affect the ability to learn, such as lack of benchedchairs and desks, %as" shelters, which let in rain, wind, dust, and snakes.

I I

ANNEX F: QUALITY - SUMMARY PW 84

- A Report of the BESO Program Decentralization Study

- The wty of Education in Selected Schools of Tigray - September 28,1995

by Kinfe Abraha & Ftsseha Abadi Mekck Business College

The main variables uacd to measure the temperature of educational quality are the teacher, the teaching materials and school facilities, and the atudcnts.

'Ibt conditions facing teachers make an obvious contribution to the quality of ducation. To determine quality, we focus on training, workload, and housing conditions and assistance provided to teachers.

1.1 Teacher Training

Of the 93 teachers interviewed all but 13 w m graduates of teachers' training institutions. The following table shows the institutions whm interviewed teachers were trained and the languages of instruction used &ring training.

FINAL REPORT: ANNEX G page 85

=~nstlcuuons,tim and the number of teachers e n e d 4

(T.T.1.)

Asmara T.T.I.

Name of institution

Adwa Teacher Training Institute

Amharic & English

Language of instruction used

Tigrigna & English

Number of m c h m

43

I Gondorlauie & Adwa T.T.I.

Forty-six of the 97 teachers inmviewed ~pealr Tigrigna, Amharic and English. F W a e (5 1) teachers told us that they do not speak Engli~h well. Eightben of there teach Enghh.

Tigrip, Amharic & English 1 II Debre Berhan T.T.I.

Dessie T.T.L

Arba Minch T.T.I.

Gambela T.T.I.

Kotobe T.T.I.

Field (during the struggle)

Others

TOTAL

12 Teacha Workload

Most of the teachers were mined at Adwa Teacher Train& institute 0. Even though the teachers have been teaching for years, none of them have received any on-the-job @ a h q since pduathg from TI'L

I

I

It

w

I

'm'kna

- -

ANNEX G: Q U W - FINAL REPORT

4

4

1

1

1

4

9

93

Table 2 shows the average numba of Bubjects taught by teachas in the selected schools. It is clear that the tcachas observed in the schools of Makalle SubZone and the Western Zone have lighta worll& than teachas in the other zones. On the other hand, the teacher obeerved in the Southern Zone have much greater workloads than teachen, in the Central, htun and Westun Zones or in the Makallc SubZone. Table 2 ?be average numkr of mbjects a d the avaage number of p a i d taught by a reacher in a week

Average number of

27 24 27 2 1 21

25

Name of pme

EaBtanZonc Westan Zone Southcrn Zone MaLalle Sub-Zone Central Zone

AgPgatC

Avaage number of mbjects taught by tmchaaintisokavedschools

3 3 4 2 3

3

1 3 Lesson Plans

Teachers prepare the ycarly/annual weekly and daily lesson plans. These plans arc submitted to the department head and the directors to be checked and commented on.

Table 3 shows the average number of classroom inspections in a year a teacher may expect to have in the schools selected for the study.

Table 3 The average number of classroom inspectioniyear far the last four consecutive years (1991/92-1994195) 1 I

15 Evaluations

Name of Zone

EastunZone Westan Zone Southern Zane M e Sub- Cenaal Zone

M F g a e

Most schools in Tigray conduct atenaive evaluations at difFaent levels. A teacha is evaluated by hismn sadenta, colleagues, the department head and the director. Together with other aitcria such as inapcuion, the school director and his assistants give a s m m a r h d written pcrfomance evaluation to each of the teachas at the end of each semester.

Average number of inspectiondyear

2 2 3 4 2

3

1.6 Radio Lessons

Table 4 describes the use of radio instruction in the schools visited as part of this study.

Table 4 Use of radio i n s t~~~ t ion m the schools visited

ANNEX G: QUALlTY - FINAL REPORT

The Eastern Zone is the poorest of all in terms of using radioshdcasting. The Western Zone would appear to be most successful in utilization. However, interviews suggested that broadcasts cannot be received clearly in the Western Zone. In addition, many schools lack teachers' guides for the radio lessons.

1.7 Teacher-Student Ratios

'Ibe following tables prwent teacher-student ratios in the observed schools.

Adi- Arbaetc Fana Weyane Tesfay Faede Mai Mekden Debri Adi-Shihu Aebo

Table 5 Teacher-student ratios in the Southern Zone

Name of School Ratio

Aggregate ratio

Zeoakodc Selckleka Mekaneyem EnLOy Whnm Endaba Guna Adi-Abeart Selckleka Wukar Duba Emba-Donso Mai-Tsebri Dagena

1 :SO

Table 6 Teacher-student ratios m the Western Zone

1 Aggregate Ratio

Name of School Rakio

Mai Gua Ruba-Kisa Christoer Mai Mi6ham Adi Abao Deso Mai Daero Edaga- Arbi Endaba-Tsahma

rable 7 Teacher-student ratios in the Central Zone

Aggregate Ratio

Name of School

ANNEX G: QUALlTY - FINAL REPORT Page 88

Ratio

Table 8 Teacher-student ratios in the Eastcrn Zone - I ?I

/

In the Southern Zone the teacher to studtat ratio varies from 1% in Adi-Arbacte Elementary School to 1:73 in Aebo Elementary School whereas m the Westan Zone the ratio varies from 127 to 1:82. I t appears that teachas an not distributed according to mllment.

Aggregate Ratio

Nameof School

Mai Kado Senafe Denglet Adi-Beles

1:68

The aggregate teacher-sardent ratio in the region is 153, ranging from 150 in Southern and Central Zones to 1 :68 in the Eastern Zone.

Table 9 Summary of teacher-student ratios m the four zones on Tigray

1 S Housing Conditions of teachas

Ratio

152 159 1:73 1:74

Name of Zone

Southan Zone Central Zone Westan Zone EastaaZooe

-SatC Ratio

T e a c h are not provided with housing, and many tescbas have housing pmblcms. Sucb t e a c h are obliged either to share houses with peasants or to walk from nearby towns. Teachers metimes had to walk quite far. For example, a fanale teacher in the Eastan Zolle waks about 8 h n ~ from Ha- to Mai-Kado Elementary School. Another female teacher walks from Adi-Shuhu to Egri-Albe which is about 6 or 7 kms. Teachas who live with peasants or students reported a lack of privacy and a negative effect on their teaching.

I

Ratio

150 150 156 1:68

153

2 TEACHING MATERULS AND SCHOOL FACIUIIES (INCLUDING "DM" SHELTERS)

Educational quality ha a great deal to do with the avaihbility of textbooks, teecbers' guides and teaching aids or teaching matdab in genml together with the conditions of classrooms and school facilities, including pedagogical centres, latrine, water, desks, challrbaards and libraries.

'here was a shortage of textbooks in most observed schools, especially in gmdes 4,5, and 6. The distribution of the textbooks to the diffaent zones is shown in Table 10.

ANNEX G: QUALITY - FINAL REPORT

As can be seen, though the aggregate textbook to student ratio is 1:2, there is considerabk variation from zont to zone and from one pa& level to another. Generally, textbook to student ratios decrease as grade levels increase, just as srudenu arc more likely to get interested in reading and solving problems from textbooks. Even within the zones, the textbooks are disaibuted in differan ratios for diffmat schools, as shown in the following tables.

Table 11 The distribution of textbooks in selected elementary schools of the Eastem Zone d

Table 12 'Ihe distributim of tcxtboolrs in selected elementary schools of the Western Zone

Graded Schools

MaiKado

Adi-Belts

Dengkt

Aggregate ratio

ANNEX G: QUALITY - FINAL REPORT pa%e

1

1:2

1:2

1:7

1:3

Adi- Abepu

Aggregate ratio

2

1:3

1:2

1:7

1:3

1:l

3:4

3

1 :6

1 :4

0

1 5

1 :2

1:l

4

0

0

0

0

3:20

1 :2

5

- 0

0

0

0

1 :3

6

- 0

0

0

0

1:4

Ag@cp& ratio

1 :3

1 :3

7:lOO

1 :5

- 1 :4

-

2:5

2:3

Table 151he distribution of textbooks in selected elancntary schools of the Makalle Sub-Zane I I 1

Graded Schools

Adi-Shihu

Tesfay Feredt

Mai-Mekden

Debri

Egri-Albe

Fana Weyane

Adi-Arbaete

Aebo

Aggregate F2atio

ANNEX G: Q U W - FINAL REPORT PF 91

1

5:3 8:9

1 :2

1:l

3:5

1:l

3:2

7: 10

7:6

Gradesl Schools

Aba-G/Michael

Adi-Haki

Aggregate Ratio

2

3:2

3:s

1:3

1 :3

5: 13

3:s

2:5

2:5

4:5

6: 13 4:9 1 :3 4:7 2:9 1 :3

1

1:11

1:l

3

1 :2

1:4

1 :5

7:15

0

3:5

1 :3

122

3:lO

2

1:21

1:l

4

1:8

3: 16

1:13

1:lO

0

1:20

1:18

-

1:lO

3

1:lO

1 :2

5

4: 15

1 :8

0

- - -- -- --

1 :5

4

1 :8

4: 13

6

1:3

0:l

2: 15

-- -- -- - --

2:7

5

1:2

3:7

Aggregate Ratio

10:11

4:9

7:25

1425

3:lO

5:8

2750

1 :2

2:3

6

1:3

1:7

A P g * Ratio

2:11

1 :2

These tables highlight the uneven distribution of textbooks. For example, in the Western Zone, the textbook to student ratio in Selekleka Elementary School is 4:3, in Adi-Abemt 2:5 and in Emba Danso 0:l. In the Southern Zone, the textbook to student ratio inj Adishihu Elementary School is 10:11, in Fana Weyane 5:8, in Aebo 1:2 and in Egri Albe 3: 10. Howeva, in all the elementary schools observed, the higha the grade level, the lower the textbook-student ratio.

The following tables illustrate the distribution of textbooks in on-the-mad and off-theroad schools.

Table 16 Disuibutim of textbooks in on-thcroad schools

11 Emba D- /1:100 ( 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

11 Fana Weyam

1 Ad.-Ahlo

ANNEX G: QUALITY - FINAL REPORT

5

4: 15

Grades Schools

Adi Shihu

1:l 13:s

7:9 1 3:5

3

1:3

4

1:8

1

5:3

3:s

1 :4

2

3:2

1:20

2: 15

-- 3:8

Table 17 Distribution of textbooks in off-the-road schools

In aggregate terms, textbooks an distributed in the ratios of 8: 13 and 3:7 to on-the-road and off-tbe-road schools, respectively. Thus in addition to the uneven distribution of textbooks across zones and to schools in the same zone, textbooks a p also to be unevenly disuibuted in off-thcd and on-themad schools.

2.2 Teachers' Guides

?he team observed a gcnaal shortage of teachers' guides for diffamt subjects at diffaent grade levels. Table 18 considas the average number of teaches' guides in six elementary schools, namely, Mai-Daero, Mai Gua, Adi- Abeto, Mai Misham, Mahbere Deigue and Adi-Shihu Elementary Schools.

ANNM G: QUALJTY - FINAL REPORT

ANNEX G: QUALITY - FINAL REPORT

On average, there are 1.1 teachers' guides per subject and grade level in the six elementary schools. Tables 19 and 20, however, show how these teacher guides are distributed, fust in five of the six elementary schools. and then in the sixth.

Table 19 Total number of teachers' guides in five elementary schools of the Central Zone: Maidaero, Mai

As can be sea, that arc more teachers' guides in Adi-Sbihu Elementary School than in the five schools selected for the study from the central zone.

ANNEX G: QUALITY - FINAL REPORT Page 95

2 3 Classrooms and Facilities

Students studying in 'dad shelters and sitting on stones arc likely to suffer from wind, dust. rain and sun. Some teachers explained that students studying in 'das' perfom less well than students learn in regular classrooms. Yet many schools carry out their teadung and learning in das shelters. For example, Mahbm-Deigue Elementary & Junior secondary School (Central Zone) has prepared 20 das shelters for ik studcnk. Snakes arc the probably the greatest danger to studats in das c-. A teacher from Endaba-GEM Elementary & Junior Secondary School (Western Zonc) arlLed of the disturbme caused to young children by snakes found creeping around their stane seats.

Moreover, a great number of elementary school buildings in Tigray appear not to have enough desks and chairs and tables for students. Dinglet Elementary School (Eastern Zone), for instance, has only 15 chairs and desks in each of its classes, which vary in size from 80 to 90. In addition, many of the benches, chairs and tables that do a i s t are too old, broken aad rwgh to be useful for sitring or writing. -

Most of the chalkboards we obeaved were rough, broken, old, small and cunugated, with no level surfaces. It is neither easy for the teacher to write on the such chalkboards, nor is simple for students to copy frcnn them. Many chalkboards are not hung on the walls. In Adi-Beles Elementary School (Eastan Zone), for example, chalkboards are placed on platform8 built by students. Such chkbcmds pose problems for both teachen, and students as the chalkboards move when a reacher writes on them. Finally, thae were an insuf5cient number of chkboads, particularly in the Cenaal Zorre. Both Endaba Tshama and Mahba-c Deigue Elementary schools, for exampk, have inadequate number of chalkboarcis.

2.4 Tcacbing Aids and Pedagogical Centers

MOM of the pedagogical centas we visited wae ill-equipped. Few had trained pawnuel to supervk and administer the centers. Most of the people working in the pedagogical centem had received no uaining, though some heads had received the days of training. In the schools we visited most teachas appeared to makc teaching aids of things found in their surroundingn using wood, mud, pieces of paper, stoaes and canons. Such teaching mMerialsannotasprcciscra~produadinproperpedagogicalccn~. Fewpedagogicalcentnsaxt equipped witb mechines and wxsmry matdab. Rooms meant to be pdagogical centers arc often fded with mes&up matczhb made by terrcbers and students at &om. 'Ibe centers sean to be ured ae rtormxnns.

ANNEX G: QUALITY - FINAL REPORT

2.5 Water and Latrine

Many schools in Tigray appear to lack latrines and/or water.

rable 21 Water

Schools with both latrine and water

Senafe Aba-GMichael Adi-Abeto

lauines in the obseived schools

Endaba Guna Fana-Wegane Mai-Tsebri

EmbaMadre

--

Schools without either lanine or water

Maikado Adi Beles Edaga A d i - D e w Endaba Trahma Kiristos Mai U s i Mai Dear0 Mai Gua Ruba-Kisa Emba Danso Selckldra &lakode Adi Abezut Selekldra Taxfay Faede Aebo Adi Arbaeta Debri

2.6 Libraries

Table 22 Water and Wines in obsaved schools

It appears that almost none of the elementary echools in Tigray have libraries. As a rwult, teachem and studcats have few matexi& to read.

ANNEX G: QUALITY - FINAL REPORT

I Total number of schools visited

Schools with water but without latrine

Schools with both latrine and water

Schools with latrine but without water

Schools without either latrine or water

3. STUDENTS

It is obvious that the interest and attitude of students affect the quality of educational inputs. Thaefore it is important to assess factors affecting the motivation and intmst of students, including such factors as distance from home to school, economic problems, family responsibilities, inconvenient claslaoom environments and class size.

3.1 Distance from School

Most students in nnal areas appear to travel for kilometers from home to school. Table 23 shows approximate maximum distances travelled to school in o-ed schools by zone.

Table 23 Distances traveled by rural students from home to school i~ I n 11 I Distance craveled by students 11

On average, students in rrnal amas travel 5 5 kilometers from their home to school each way.

I

3.2 Economic Roblans.

In addition to the distance they travel, many sndezlts suffer from poverty or hunga, both of which affect students' ability to learn. Hunger &uca students' ability to C O L I C Q ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . In addition, many sardennr lack the money to buy stationery materials (such as peacils, pens and exercise books).

Zone

Eastern Southern Western Central

In Tigray's schools. thm are many adult students who cany heavy family rcspomibilities. Many such students attend school after harvesting their crops. Thus the acadcmic calendar leads to ~~ and dropout

3.4 Class S h .

Maximum

20 kms 20 kms 25 kms 25 kms

Table 24 summarha the maximum number of students obcwad in classrooms being studied.

Avaagt

6- 5 k m ~ 4kms 6kms

Table 24 ~ c l a s s ~ o b r e r v c d , b y u n r e

ANNEX G: QUALlTY - FINAL REPORT PSe 98

- Name of Zone

pp - - - - -

Central Eastern W e s m Southern

Maximum numbaafstudcnts -ed in a class

165 120 115 112

L

ANNEX G: Q U W - FINAL REPORT

It is important to note here that perception and mlity may not be always the same. In some cases, the more the problems are strongly felt, the better is the situation; or the less strongly the problans arc felt the w n s c is the situation.. For instance shortage of books and teaching materials arc very strongly felt in the Western zone. But the situation is found to be better than the rest of the zones (books are better distributed) as per the observation of the writer from the long interviews with Wereda heads. Book distribution is the wont in the Eastern zone, but it is also less strongly felt by the people in the educational system of the zone.

13 Sodaconomic problans were the second biggest problems for all of the region and the zones--Central and -. 1 is the first important problem f a the Eastan zone but only the 5th in the Western zone.

1.4 Teacher upgrading and capacity building and pmblans of educational administration were paceived as major educational problems by few mpondents.

2.1 Teachers, school directom and w c d a education officials said that the most common educational problems of Tigray are shortage of books and teaching materials.

Question: What do you think are the two major educational problems in Tigray region? (by group) Table II. Perception of educational problems in Tigray by ttachas, school directors, wenda officials and parents.

Socioeconomic problems are problems of all kinds (stated in Annex IT) such as, poverty housing problems, health, oneshift system, distance from schooli- labour-need requirements of families, etc. Highest frequencies.

23 About a third of the parents demonstrated lack of knowledge to answer the question, but those who have attempted said Socio-economic problems are the moat common problems of education in Tigray.

23 All p u p s agree that the 3rd biggest problem of education in T~gray is pmblan of school buildings and classrooms.

231 Many schools w m observed to lack shelters, or many are 'Das' (open -air) schools.

ANNEX H: PERVCIEVED PROBLEMS - FINAL REPORT page 101

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5.4 From the observations of the different schools and in-depth interviews with about 30 educational officials, the researcher can safely conclude that the system of education is more responsive to issues of school environment than issues of pedagogy. This argument is valid because:

5.41 More effort is made on construction of schools. 5.42 More effort is done to increase enrollment.

On the contrary kss effort is obsaved in attempting to solve the problems of: 5.43 Disbibution of books & teaching materials. 5.44 C l w size. 5.45 R e d i ~ t e a c k guides. 5.46 Curriculum.

ANNEX H: PERVCIEVED PROBLEMS -- FINAL REPORT page 105

ANNEX 11 FINAL REPORT

1. Perceived Educational Problems Categorize under Soclo-economic Problems.

1.1 Teacher Petcepriorts of education01 problems.

- School calendar conflicts with farm calendar - High Dropout in June, h e time of fanning (plowing) - Absence of a doubk-shift system in the schools. -Problems of distance between school and residam. - Roblem of housing and living conditioas of teachas. - Roblem of educational adminisbation-inability to supply us with needed teaching -Community's lower kvel of awareness about use of education. - Generally poor level camotnic p o w of amrmunity. - Curriculum is difficult, not to the level of students. - Different curriculums in operation f a diffmnt gade levels and subjects in the same

13 School-Director Pemeplions of Educafional Problems.

- Community gives little value to education. - Rural schools have limited communication with the wertda. - No latrine in the school, brides have mort problems in finding shelters. - No school budget. - More classes "Das" classrooms. - Students put low value to education. - Public complaints for a double shift system education.

13 Wen& mcials-Perceprions of Education pmblems.

-250 student applicants rejected for registration due to shortage of teachers. - All education without boob and books without education an the same. - School dropout is high. - Old cumculum is not relevant for life. - Housing problems of w h e n . - Problems of water-teachera travel up to 7km everyday to fetch water.

materials in time.

school.

ANNEX H: PERVClEVED PROBLEMS -- FINAL REPORT page 106

- Distribution of books done in piecemeal and delayed. - Cumculum is not timely. - Demand of education surpassing supply due to continued agitation. - No budget for Wereda educational administration. - Teachers have no commitment for the teaching profession.

1.4 Patent-perceptions of Educational problems.

- EcotKrmic problem8 such as poverty, lack of money of momy for covering educational - Abjea povaty. - Roblem of water in the community. - Abscna of a doubleshift system in the educational system. - High rate of illitaaey. - '9 know only my pet~nurl problems, I can't know the problem of education in Tigray" - No control of studentdiscipline, -hers don't inform parents about the disciple of - No double-shin system in rural schools. - Our children suffer fnnn heat, wind, cold, etc. while attending in Das a Open-air - Roblan.of drinking water f a children in the schools. - School pgymarts are high. - Low work moral of teachera. - Bad student-teacher relationship(obsaved only in Mai-Misham mission school). - Abscnce of 7'' and 8'' grade levels which kads to tamination.

2. Effects of Perceived Educational Problems (under the category, socio-economic problems).

2.1 Perceived meets of Educational prablems by Teachers.

- Conflicting calendars of school and fann are inconvenient for doing both farming and - Creates conflict of annual work-scheme and daily ksson plans. - Life condition of teachers is bad. - Sometimes conflict and misundetstandin8 arise among teachas and dimtom; teachen

quality of education. - It is not appropriate to give student assignment by writing every thing on the - Children should go to school for half a day and help parents for the rest of the day. - Poor student anendance d s when you do not have a double shift system. - Performance of teachers adversely affected when family members do not live together. - Dissatisfied teachera have poor pafonnana in teaching, thaeby negatively affecting

expenses of children.

their respective children.

classes.

going to school.

and student. 7hese conflicts interfere with

chalkboard.

quality of education.

ANNEX H: PERVCIEVED PROBLEMS -- FINAL REPORT page 107

- Class attendance in open-air or "Das" exposes children to cold, infections, etc. - Dropouu arc high due to economic problems. - Teacher-housing problems affect teacher-moral. - Cases of class repetition are very high.

2.2 Wrector-pemeived Emcts of Educational Problems.

- Because of low-kvel of economic development of Tigray. - Because d complaint of teacher. - lhose demanding a shift system negatively influence quality of education. - Parents force children to drop-out trivial reasons. - Because thae is a problem of t r a n ~ t i m .

t

23 Perceived wets of Educational problems by Were& Education

- Quality of education is severally affected. - Dissatisfied teachmu have poor morals for teaching.

- Our children dropout because they furd it hard 60 travel long distana to get to a - Our children arc expoaed to cold, infections, etc. when attending classes in open-air. - Books arc mined when attending classes in open-air. - Education is less hnportant in thne of povaty. - Coupks taminate education because they have to support themselves. - ?hey can't attard claws without food. - If all p to school who would w d f a the household? - In the absence good student discipline, student-lcaming is unthinkable. - Children do not go to schools because of lack of doubleshift system. - In dwbk shift system, educational pmticipntion could be high. - Crtates high burden for covaing school wpaum.

3. Recommendation on Perceived problems (All Zones).

- Government should supply enough number of teachers.

school.

ANNEX H: PERVCIEVED PROBLEMS -- FINAL REPORT page 108

- Use shift system because students have economic problems. - Placement of couples should be fair (same school). - Provide transport facilities. -Improve life condition of teachers. - Provide teacher-homes near the school. - Revise content of curriculum. - You need to have one regular cuniculum for all subjects and grade levels. - System of effrdent bansportation of schools must be created for quick delivery.

- There should fair distribution of teachers. - Rovide housing for teachen. - Advise and control young pcople from being guided by trivial interests. - Persuade the public f a more educational paticipation of children.

3 3 Recommendations by Were& Oficials.

- The community and the government should provide. - The government should take action to address all educational problems. - Govanment, community and do nor agencies should help tackle educational problems. - The radio station should be improved. - Books should arive before schools start

3.4 Parent-recommendations on Educational Problems.

- Make good control of student discipline. - The government in cooperation with the public should build schools and classrooms. - Schools should operac on a double shift basis. - 7he govanment and the public should replace "Das' schools by new classroom - Govenunent should make education free. - Create good relationship between students and teachers by creating good disciplinary - Sending part of the children to school so that the 0 t h can work for the family. - Govemment should give an urgent solution to the establishment of a double-shift - School should be c l o d during harvesting time at all expenses.

constructions.

rules.

system.

ANNEX H: PERVCIEVED PROBLEMS -- F[NAL REPORT page 109

Reported Responsibilities of Educational Wereda Heads.

Final Report, Amare Asgcdom.

1. Purpose.

'Ihe purpose of this study was to point out what responsibilities (tasks) and decision-making authoritits wmda education officials had in the system.

2. Questions (method)

Wereda oficials were asked to report all what they did the pnvious year, 1994195 (&om September to August). They were requested in the qucstionnain (with personal interviewer) to recall activities they accomplished each month of the year.

Out of the 30 waeda officials reached out by all research teams, half of than (IS) were used to fi out the question. All 15 wae almost evenly distributed in all four unes except the Eastern Zoae, what only two wabda officials wae c o d d a d for reasons of time comaaint

4. Findings.

Out of the 15 questionnaires, one was discadd far incoaapktaress. Foun#n queationnairce were, therefore, used for the d y d s of these data

4.1 1 The 14 wereda heads had an average age of 40.6 years ranging f m a minimum of 29 years to a maximum of 50 years.

4.12 All wereda heads wm maks.

4.13 Their yearsf-service varied from a minimum of 9 years to a maximum of30 yerasindif f~tplacesdanasofwork.

4.14 Six of them had a qualification of what they call lZ+TII @aduata of Teacher Training btitutcs after cornpietion of grade 12).

4.15 One of than &ad a diplama in School Acbninistri#ion form Hailc- SelaMie Univeraity. (Now called Addis Ababa University).

ANNEX I: WOREDA ACTWITES - FINAL REPORT page 110

4.2 Analvsis of Data

4.2 1 A total of 174 responses w a e obtained from the 15 wmda heads to the question. ?he average number of responses by one person was 12.

4.22 'IEese 174 responses w m then classit?ad into nine categories as indicated in table I.

Table I. Reported Responsibilities of W e d a heads in tbe Four Zones of Tigray .

L Note that one additional questionnaire was discarded for incompleMeas. ** M a d as tasks of ~ccouutability. *** Undasfied.

4.23 'Ihe six most important points perfmed by most wereda heads wae:

a) h p c t i o n which includes auditing, property inspections, and instructional inspections (31 m s p o ~ ~ 8 ) .

b) Adult and -unity education -that were mostly non-formal activities co~lducted outside the formal educational system. 'Ibey arc mainly ahad at literacy campaigns.

ANNEX I: WOREDA ACTMTES - FINAL REPORT page 111

C) P e r f w c e evaluations-these arc evaluations of performance of schools. school directors, the w m d a staff itself, etc. Thest evaluations arc conducted on the basis of annual work plans of each level.

d) Distribution of books and teaching materials-these arc materials sent from the respective zwes.

e) Teacher placement, uansfer, discipline promotions, recommendations, etc.

f ) Examinations- these are regional or national examinations which required cOo&mtiolls by wenda Cducatiom administrators.

4.24 These six repaed i m p o ~ n t activities constitute 60.9 percent of the tasks accomplished during the year. Of these six activities, iaspection appca~~ to saad out followed by adult education and perfo~mance evaluMim.

4 2 5 Inspection is the number one activity for all mxs except f a the Central Zoae whose reported highest engagement was performance evaluation.

4.26 The Eastan Zoac is different from the otha mnes as the respondent (in his 18 mqonscs) did not makc any meation concaning distribution of books and teschhg mataials duxing the whole year.

4.27 The mks of teacher placemat, discipline, promotions and rcammcndaths wae not obacmed in the Southan Zone.

4.28 The Westan Zone had the h p t reported respcmm of adult education, 1 3 r c d ~ , r h n e t i m e s a s m u & a 8 theCentralZonea e v a mare than six times of that of the Southern Zone.

Accountability and CapadQ Building.

5.1 ?hc reponed 174 mab wae categorized into t& of accormtabUy and authority (ree table I). The results suggest slight bias toward capncity building (90 reposes apacicy building and 79 rerpcmcs aawntability).

5.2 Comm\micrtim paaanr arc repated both downward and upward. It is, howeva, obecrved that waeda beads failed to report infomation flows from boaom-up; ie. fran the schools or parmu to the waeda offices (see figure I).

Figure I: Reported Communication Pat!uns by Waeda Heads.

53 t h a t w e n n o ~ b v w e r t d a h e a d s :

- they did not martion educational policy. - did not talk about decisions they madc - did not complain about training.

ANNEX I: WOREDA ACllWTES - FINAL REPORT

The Situation of Educational Radio in the Central Zone of Tiarav.

Repon by Amare Asgedom October 6.1995 G.C.

Educarianal radio arc known to improve quality of education by

a) supplementing and eoriching the c l a s s~~nn nperi-; b) by conattizing the subjects-bringing actual sound (voice) of reality.

2. Obiectives of the Studx.

The main objective of the study was assessment of the extent to which radio was used m the classrooms.

3. Method of Data Collection.

3.1 Classroom obswation of available teaching materials including radio sets. 3.2 Obsaviag the process (teaching-leaning) itself. 3.3 A check-list was used for c w observations.

4. Sarn~le Areas Covered.

three weredas-Endhtmhum Adwa and Na'ader. - a total of 5 schools with a total of 15 classroom obswatioas

the 5 schools involved pilot school (2) and ordimy schools (3).

5. Duration for Data collection.

a total of 4% days, with very efficient tramport facility.

6.1 The researcher was forced to change the method of data Collection after he reached the different schools. Clasm started in September 18. But educational radio was supposed to start m October 2. It was not therefore, po~ible to obumve radio classes while in session.

6.2 'Ihe maamher wae+, thaefre forced to change his mahod of data collecticm. interviews wcrc brcfae, conducted with the school dirccms and teachen who teach different subjects and grade levels.

6.3 1 Av8iI8bWtv of Wdio Sets.

6 3 11 From the five schools (Edabatdnna Elrmmtary School, Kiristos Mai- Misham, Adi-Abeyeto (pilot schools), MahbemDego (pilot) and

ANNEX J: PROBLEMS RELATED TO RATIO EDUCATION page 113

Edaga-Arbi), only three had radio sets. Kiristos Mai-Wsham (Mssion school) and Edaga-Arbi primary schools neither radio receivers nor integrated radio lessons into their timatables.

6.312 Two schools had two radio sets each, but one school had 4 sets, 6313 In general each school cases for its own radio sets as there is no budget

for punbase of radio sets by government 6 3 14 In mid-September, this year, the rich schools (those that have radio

sets) had received thne additional radio sets with built-in recorders, in addition, each school received one micro-tape rummier in addition to the radio sets, bringing the maximum number of radio sets and mxrdms to 11 while the poor schools do not have any.

6 3 15 Teach- and school directom repotoed that they do not know what to do with the fanciful new gadgets. 'Ihey said they did not get quides on howorwhattoucretkmfor.

Four kinds of different us~paaans were observed in applications of radio to education

4.41 Same schools do not use radio classes at all because ~ k y do not have radio sets.

4.42 Some schools make vay appropriate use of radio lessons even while expuiencing shortage of radio EC&. if the first broadcast (which they call RI) for a givm lesson is mhed in one c l a ~ ~ , they use R2, or R3 whicharethe ramt krsansbutrqnwd wcrthe week.

4.43 Pilot (model) cla88cs do not bave ndio education programs prcpamd for the asme curriculum.

4.44 Radio lessons an prepad only for rame wbjects. For instance, there is no radio program f a Matkmics in all levels. Some subjects such as Social studies do not have radio prograrmr in pads 5 and 6.

4 5 1 Thae was no signSicaut experience in radio educations in. It was interrupted d u k g the war. It started only in 1993. Even after 1993, the station was poor until march 1995.

452 Teachen do not have radio teachers guides. They get the broadcasting together with their studart 'Ihey have no chance prepation as they do not know the content and intent of the bmadcasts due lack of radio tesrher guides neither do ?hey know the use of tope rccdas to deal withthcprobkmofabsenceofradioteachaguid#.

453 Radio cuniculum was found difzcnmt fmn the d c u l u m used in the whook. Teacbar, complained of radio C Q V ~ as being inconsistent with the SChooL

454 Radio calendaP was found to be different frcm school calendar. This year (1995196). school calender started Septemkr 18, while radio calawhr was to start twc+wedr later, Oaobcr 2.

455 Some teacher complained of mnsmhion rate Wing faster to students. 'Ihe English pronunciations was abo reparted to be different from what is used by the school English teachem.

456 Rural teachers said the radio bm&a8tbg armngffnmts (replaion of a lacran) is made on the prrmibes of shift system which is non existent in rural schools. They argued that the hadcasting timatables

ANNEX J: PROBLEMS RELATED TO RATIO EDUCATION page 114

applicable only to urban schools and not to rural schools. In addition, rural teachers asserted that daily classes start late during the day as students traveling long distances can't make it to anend classes that start early in the morning. The radio broadcasts start early during the day consistent with urbau -school schedules.

ANNEX J: PROBLEMS RELATED TO RATIO EDUCATION page 115

Report on the school pedagogical centres which I observed during the survey research program in the r

Introduction.

School pedagogical centers are work rooms where teaching-aids arc prepared. E.g. maps, charts, pictures and other objects.

SPCs are centers where school community manbas shape skill experience to each other.

IL Stratew. I made tbe research using the following methods: - The individllals who worlr in the SPCs fill questiomraires having differcat kinds of questions. I observed the SPCs.

m. ~ i d m . No SPCs in some schools. Most SPCs do not have their own rooms. Untmined man power woking in SPCs. Teachas who are assigned to work in the SPCs do not get enough time &o work in the SPCs sina they are asked to teach as many periods as the others. Some SPCs do not have enough furniture and implanents. Low alloc8tioo of budge.

m. Result of the oroblems lFindhm). Having not enough teaching-aids prepared.

- Teachers and students do not share expericna to each other. Tcac&ing-luaning process become8 more themetical than prac?ical.

v. Analhation. I have classified the pedagogical centas as in the following table according to my obsavation.

ANNM J: PROBLEMS RELATED TO PEDOGOGICAL CENTERS page 116

1. The SPCs which are classified as not good

- Do not have their own rooms. - The average budget allocation is bout 300.00 Birr. - Do not have enough chairs, tables and implements. - The available teaching-aids are not arranged well. - Do not have enough teaching-aids prepared.

2. 'Iht SPCs which are said to be good.

- Have their own rooms even though they an small. - The teachas assigned to work in these SPCs teach a small number of periods so that they can

have time to work in the SPCs. - The average amount of budget assigned for than is about 800.00 Birr. -They have almost enough number of teaching aids prepared for each subject They have maps, charts other picnaes and different kinds of objects made from mud, wood and similar materials. The maps and charts an hanged over the walls but some of the objects are p W on the floor

-ds of h u . . . since thev lack 'm to a r a ~ ~ e the teacIyn~-ru& m order.

3. nose which arc classif~ed as 'bettn' are really better than the others because:

- They have laage rooms of their own. - The average budget assigned for them is about 1000.00 Bh. - They have mmnable number of thatching-aids prepared on very thick pieces of clothes, chaia, hence pictuns and other mathanatid drawings. 'Ihey have different kinds of objects mack from leather mud, wood and similar maaaials. I have obsaved some teaching-ai& which ~IZ

unique to these better SPCs such as the teaching-aids at Abreha-Atsbeha or pedagogical centre which is used to teach work formation. - The individual assigned in these pedagogical centers work pcnnaaentty in the SPCs; 80 that they have enough time to arwk and organiz teachem aad students to pepre different kinds of teaching-aids in the SFCs.

- They have enough ~~ and implements.

VL As for the mining of man power it is almost common for most of the school pedagogical centas that some of the workers have taken 5- 10 days of training and some didn't even get this chance.

m. Racommendatians - As recommended by the individuals who work in the SFCs.

- SPCs rhould be e n c o ~ and strengthen. Reasonable budg~ should be assigned - The individuals working in the SPCs should get aaining, and should be assigned in the sPc8 pamanmdy. SPCs should b e large rooms which are suitable to be used as pedagogical centers.

As observed in the Southan and Central zones most of the pedagogical ceatm which I have seen need impvement and special attcnticm. Prepartdby Askale GIEgziabber REB, Project Expert

ANNEX J: PROBLEMS RELATED TO PEDOGOGICAL CENTERS

by Talday Tesfy and Faede Ali October 2-4.1995 G.C.

Instructional Process.

- Four Weredas form the central zone were selected for study, and two school from each W m d a were approached. As far as the classroom observation is c o n d we managed to make in only six schools. The problan was that classes were not starred, but according to t!~! academic cakndar it was scheduled to start on Medraem 4,19%8 E.C. - We oboaved mainly grades 1 and 5 (and some in grades 2 and 6) for English and Mathmatics subjects.

The Findins.

From the classes o b e d , 25 used the interactive approach, and 6 used the s t r u m d ltcnac formM (chalk and talk) where the teacher makes most of the talking. In fact, this - to contradict with the generall belief that the educatioaal system of thc region (and of the country) is ovawwmbgiy dnminavA by the chalk and talk approach. Well, may be many faaorsmight be used to explain thenason:

May be the teachers used the prticipative approach just because we, the otmcrvcrs, wen thm. May be the naaae of the topics dirrarsred and subjects taught (Tigrip & Social studies use chalk and talk). By chaoce we might have selected tea- who try to use the participative appraach. etc.

Of the thirty one Deachers observed, 13 am evaluated as having high level of enthusiasm. 16 moderate, and 2 low. In this case, we can say that the tarchd level of enthusiasm while teaching is generally gmd.

* Availabilltv of a LRsson Plan.

In our classroom obravatioa, we found that 24 teachers had a lesson plan with them, aad they wen making use of it. Seven teachers did not have a lesson plan with than.

When the teachers obsaved were asked to give their suggestions on the probluns of radio education, they stated the following:

ANNEX L: CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS

- -- -- -

The radio lesson does not fit with the classroom lesson - it is usually behind. (For - example, radio broadcast is not yet started but classes are started). Reception is not clear, and it even sometimes interrupts. Absence of radio lesson teacher guide. The number of radio sets available is limited, and even the quality of the existing ones is poor. In the das schools, students can not hear what is being broadcasted over the radio, because there is a disturbing noise coming from adjacent classrooms.

* General Comments about the Classroom Environment.

+ We observed that same English teachers make spelling, capitahatian, punctuation, conceptual, and grammatical enas in the classes.

Here arc some examples.

- At Tekezze it is very cold on the night in the mouth of January. lhousands of people came from the village for MAY DAY celebration. Stool + "Znggm m e M tcnvluW + Conceptual. The dog waf b q at the beggar + Grammatical. Who can tell me the meaning of .............. + Conaptual.

+ In the das school, there is a noise which hinders effective teaching. + A great deal of time is spent in writing.

ANNEX L: CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS

Instructional Materials by Kinfe Abmha and Fessaha Abadi

Introduction,

As to the calendar to the Regional Education Bureau of ngray, classes werc to begin on Sept. 15, 1995. Our field trip to ceatral zoae was on Sept. 18. Most of the classes had not started.

1) Out of 33 classrwans observed, 73 -24 were buildings 73%

and 8 wae das-shelters 24% 1 was au openair. 3%

2) To the clasgoams furniture's,

-18 classsooms w m using stones and logs 55% white - 15 were using desks and c b . 45%

3) 33 of the classrooms has chalkbods out of which 13 were good (black, moderate size) 40% and 2p w a e poor (roo1 small and very rough) 60%.

4) Out of all the classmox~ obavations, none of them had distributed textbooks to the suldctlts.

5 ) Out of 3 1 teachers teaching in the schools, - 9 had teachers' guides with them 29% sod -22hadnoteachas' guideswiththem71%

nae art thret typcs of curricula

6) Out of the 33 teachas teaching in classrooms, 1 15 wae using the snuggle claTiculum 46% 14 wm using the revised curriculum 42% 4 wue using the new amiculm 12%

7) Out of 32 teaches0 of grades 1 and 5 regain, 24 had no &aining for the new cuniculm and - 8 had an orientation of thm days.

8) AU of the teachers explained that therc an no radio teachers' guides f a all grades and all subject&

9) The average class size in all the elementary schools we visited was 1475132= 46

ANNEX L: CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS

Minutes of the workshop Conducted in Endaslassie-Shire. July 19,1995 Place: Endrslrseje Edmtion EWL Time: 8:30

Present: Dr. Marc Sammas (Project manager, Chairman) Ato Amarc Asgc&nn (rescar& axndinator) Ato Kinfe Abraha (nsearcba) Am Ttklay Tesfy ( >> ) Ato Ferede Ali ( >> ) Ato Fesseha Abadi ( >> ) Ato Dawit Kahsay (translaurr of Dr. Marc)

Ato Negash W/Hawaria Ato Berime Abraha Ato Haile Adaae Ato Kahsay Asefa Ato W~Berhan W/Medhin Ato Tklemariam WIAregay Ato Berihu WMariam Ato Sieud Mohammednur

Ato Hsaile Kahsay Ato Bcrhane Hailu Ato Tefera Aadgu Ato Alcmmcgd Kcbedew Ato Weldu Adene Ato Kalayu Mush Ato Kalayu Y i i Ato Ghoitom Sequar Ato Nega Tadesse Ato 'Ihegu Tesfay Ato Minassie Degene

Dr. Marc, the project manager, told the participants of the workshop that the research headed by him to study the temperature of wlllratim in the elementary wbols has ken different from the past rweasches. He reasoned it has a rerits of wodmp enabling teachers, dinctars, wereda, Zone and region bureau officials to pdcipaW on the raw mataials gathered during the field works. h, he added his group's study has bees about kcntralhtion that has to do with efficiency. MO~~OVCT, be informed the patticipants of the waddq the rwearch's aim would be making tbe money @udget) and the people in the s a u m of the orllvrrtiaa wolk well. In @ition, he a~coumgcd evaycmc of the participants to express hidha feelings and opinions during the discuuion after the end of the prcacntations of the researches. F d y , the ch-an and -on expat intrduccd the three subjects to be talked about during the workshop these wae what equity, access and quality look like in the schools selected to pmvide the SOUrCts of the survey.

Ato Amare, the research coordinator made clear that there has been lack of uniformity in the curriculum of the different weredas in the western Zone since some Schools arc using the old ctariculum, some othas both the new and the old and so forth. Besides, the teachers haven't been trained on the new curriculum, he stated. There are some teachers in M ~ E y e s u s Elementary and junior Scmmky School who teach

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS Page 121

without getting Uained in teacher training institutions, he added. He further showed that shortage of teachers has resulted in larger class-sizes in the Schools. Lastly, he reported t h m arc shortage of teaching facilities such as books, teaching-aids etc. absence of good radio station and its respective lesson guides. There are high rates of dropouts in many Schools, he remarked.

The second speaker W/ro Askale, member of the Education Burtau said she had lcnown the problems of Schools in Tigray, yet she learned the problems to be more than what she had expected. For example, she found there is tcnible shortage of text books in grades 4-6 with an average of 1:10 (text book students ratio.)

The third presentation was by Ato Teklay, researcher. He came to h o w and presented that with the exception of parents near one school or so, most parents are interested to send their children to School; however, the Schools don't satisfy the demands of the people because of lack of enough classmoms and teachers. The best reason f a parents' sending their children to dm01 would be to amble them lead berrer lives, he added. Fwther more, he said the reasons f a not axolling in the admols are the prcmm on the children made by the parents so as to help the parents in the farming in looking after the cows, sheep, Uc. Absena of shift system in some of the schools, high rate of regismtion fees and N t y f a last or damaged books and confusion of the acadanic calmdar wae some of the reasons f a not emolling, as he reported. Last but not least, he reported that the high rate of dmpouts wae due to hou~~hold problems such as wondering of the students in m h of gold, abscmc of detailed orientation on the impa~nce af education, marriage greatly for females, poor health due to malaria as well as measles in lower grades and serious economic problans like the inability of parents to buy exercise books, pens ac. to their children who arc in or to be in school.

Ato Kinfe, one of the researchers mentioned some to the existing conditions affccthg educational quality. First, he insisted that teachers of the elementary schools require oo the job mining of different kinds after graduating from T.T.I. Ht commented the ctariculum has been changed whae as the teachers have been left untrained on the new cuniculum. Teachers must be updated he expressed his opinion. Seamd, he said all the schools of the western Zone which we selected f a our study haven't bad enough textbooks, esptciaUy when grade level inmews from four to six the textbook to sadeat ratio decnasing dramatically. So he wondaed what the effect of the situation would-be. Third, Ato Kinfe spoke teachas haven't been provided with housing facilities, 80 this conditiaa has been affecting thore who are hoped to play an important role in improving educational quality. Fourth, he has observed thae weren't teachas' guides fa some subjects. Besides, the wrong answers given in same of the teachd guides, and the absence of adequate vachas in schools ecmcd to amuibute to the low educational quality, he expressed his feeling. Howcva, he appreciated the fact that all the directors in the schools of Tsimbla wends who were inspecting together the teachers in all of the schools in the wffeda 'This method of evaluating teachers," the researcher said, ''would be essential f a sharing experience among the rchooIs." Frfth, Ato Kinfe demanded the evaluations used in the schools to be encowaged by the existing system d education. Sixth, the researcher acmmdad an apt mpomc to the unfavonble rchoal amditianr such as learning in suffocated clasamomr, troubling with malrrr creeping round the sitting wner in the 'Dassa'. Sixth, he mentimedb~rtia~~abacatsinrchoolwhaetheri~beacbes9.ertoasdtopotectthcmh damage by pa@e while the studcats were dwhcd to sit on stones. This rhockiag hmpcmibility of the school leaders will hwe its own cowqmce on the quality d education, be infamed to the participants of the wolbhop. SevCIIth, distaucc frcan schools, absalteeian duc to llcrhus cc4momic problem8 (or bunger)andthel i lreontheplrrtofthe~ts~to8&ctluitc lrt inn.11itwrrcrdir i f ied bythe reporter. F m , he expressed the amdition of the schools such as the exirtaKx d broken, old affect blackboards and absence of water and lauine in more than half of the schools has kea adding to low level quality education whatever the degree may be.

Ato Ferede Ali. mentioned that in meas- the tempemure of education it is good to look at equity: malefemale ratio, enrollment ratio in urban as compand to d, failure and dmpouu in relation to sex and so forth. He told the floa failure is high in the off-road schools as conuasted with the on-&road ones. He supported the idea by providing the example that in Selekleka Elementary School (on-theroad)

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS Page 122

the percentage of failure is 8.9 female and 9 males while in Wukar-Duba (off-the-road School) the percentage is 24.6 females and 19.5 males. He also statistically supported the fact that the failure and dropouts of females increase as the grade level goes up.

After the research group has finished their presentations, Dr. Marc said that the problems present were helpful to address them. He explained "'there is great demand for education but there are a lot of parents who arc not sure of what is happening in the Schools of their children." Dr. Marc told the participants of the workshop that a certain school boy whom the researcher and his translator asked why he goes to School answered that he goes to School because his parents informed him to do so. So, the chairman expressed his view that if there art other ways aside to education by means of which the students get money sooner, there is no way that they should go to school f a many yeas as they don't lcnow clearly the advantage of education.

Then the research fellow Dr. Marc explained his opinion: though parents don't know what is happening in the schools, they are expecting a lot fran the schools and hena teachers, researchers, etc., have got much respoxuibilitics on their shoulders.

In the end, the floor discussed issues of education, particularly on the printing and distribution of textbooks. Dr. Marc wanted to know whether or not the participants of the workshop consider the on going distribution of text books (for example, the distribution of the text books from Mekelle to Axum and then to Yechilla which is much nearer to Mekclle) to be right.

Most of the participants commented that the method of disaibution on being used is a cenaalized one and it is not considered to be right. Many participants revealed their falings that they believe decentralized method of distributing te;xtbooks should be fruitful. One of the participants informed the floor the decenaalized method that is tested in other materials, He tallrrA about the cement dishibution made fmn Goader to Humera without bringing and storing it to Shire. So, he further said that it was found to be helpful. Moreover, it has been discussed that most of the mponsibility of printing of the textbooks shouldn't be given to EMPADA. The region must have its own printing press where in the t a t books can be printed in great numbers, the workshop participants demanded. Two members of the workshop also said that it is nectssary to set up an independent department amccmal about the production and distribution of textbooks. It is important to make strucanal reform on the presently existing ofIice mponsibie for distributing textbooks, they showed their opiuions.

The participants of the workshop e x p u e d their feelings that a the dcccntralkd approach on distribution of textbooks is neccssaxy and it avoids delays. If the problems of budge, the printing of textbooks in small membgs, as well as the delay in distribution of textbooks arc addressed the system will be helpful to the demands of the schools the participants believed. To sum up, the Workshop M c i p t s unanimously expressed the following views

1) direct eansporr of books fiom Region to Waodda, or even from the Region directly to the Schoolr, is both possible and efficient

2) EnactQ dhct transport of books frrnn the Repon to the Wcccda or Schools would r#luire a reform of the existing saucturt, and the creation of amditions that would be favorable far relonn.

I b e workshop adjourned at 2:45 (after noon).

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS

August 25,1995 G.C.

August 25,1995 It was mentioned that building schools has been a success of the educational system. It has been made clear that the over all aim of the r#rearch project is to make the educational system dficient

- Ato Aman Asgcdom, the project resea~cher reported the educational problems of Tigray as perceived by teachas, school directors, wcrcda officials and parents. He noted most parents don't eean to know the major educational problems of Tigray.

- Ate Teklay reported, -

1. it was found out that a) The percentage of females enrolled is greater than that of males in the first and second

grades even though the a n d changes starting from grade 3 upwards. b) However, in the Eastem Zone at all grade levels the pacentage of males is grater than of

females. 2. in both mm (Eastern and Western) thm is relatively large number of s a d w t drop-outs.

Considering the on and off-the-road classification of schools, in the Eastem Zone there is a higher rate of &spouts in the off-&-road schools but the situation m the Western Zone is quite the reverse.

Ato Kiafe repond that the main factors which an supposed to affect educational quality ere the teachers, the sndents and the achool condition.

1. Almost all teachas in both zones

+ didn't receive in -&ce training. 4 pparele~onplans.

are ova-loaded + lackprivacy + arc inspected two times a year at an average.

+ in the 'Pas" shelters an suffering from the sun, rain & snakes.

3. As far as book distribution and school conditions is concan&

b e total dbnibuticm of textbook to student ratio is greavr in the elementary schools 0f~WeuernZane.

4 the distribution of the textbooks doesn't sum to d d e r emollmenf + rome of the schools obeaved in bath pines don't have teacher guides for artain

subjects. + t h e s e a r e l a r g a c l a s s - s i z e s o f m ~ t h a n 1 1 O ~ o m t h e c ~ o f b o t h

zoLLe8.

4 thae is only one school from both zones having both latriae and water, i.c. Senafe EJerneatmy School (Eastern Zone.)

+ almost all the schools visited in both zones have neither pedagogical centers nor libraries.

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS Page 124

+ class rooms don't have enough facilities. 6 many schools in both Zones don't have radio sets and radio guides.

It was said that if people could appreciate the quality gained by the capacity built up by teachers, it might have an indirect effect on access. It was mentioned that tion on doesn't always mean efficiency.

- It was rcmhbd that the advocacy of double shift was considered to be significant by parents. Ato Mulugeta from REB, said that there should be flexible criteria on the distribution of texts and he added texts coming from EMPDA should be s d in the region for inventory purposes.

- Many participants mentioned thae has been a problem of management in distributing texts to the schools. Many participants of the workshop believed that books should be made reach the schools directly and infomation hasn't been a problan.

- Many people in the workshop believed (that) books should be distributed to schools according to the same guideline i.e. emollment.

- Many participants mentioned that book distribution has been a ccntralizd one and it should be decetlealiud very Soon. The ceneralized system of book distribution was believed to

+ consume more budget for loading and unloading cause &lay of the textbooks m reaching the schools,

+ cause -ation of the textbooks.

Most pdcipants believed that books should reach the usns vay soon by whatever means. - Some people in the workshop believed that it is necessary to create m e waeda store centen, which are convenient for facilitating the hta distribution of texts to the weredas and schools. lhis idea, however, was not accepted as it seemed no to solve the crarently existing problans. So many people commented that crcatiug o t k strata outside the waedas is believed to be the same as farming many more canal stores rather than the one attempt to reduce. The workshop demanded diffamt proposals which support in the deccnmlization of textbook disnibution to be discussed on in the next workshop.

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS

SUMMARY TO THE THIRD WORKSHOP HELD IN MEKELLE.

Date Sept. 16,1995

In this third workshop, the following points were presented.

1. School pedagogical centers in Tigray 2. Educational problems in Tigray 3. Learning; process and teaching materials in schools

The main f111dings of the research arc:

1. there arc no trained personnel in the school pedagogical centers; 2. lack of budget allocation for school pedagogical centers; 3. pedagogical centers do not have their own rook, 4. socio-cconomic, lack of textbooks, teachem' guide and teaching matuials arc main problems

in the region; 5. earohcut is low; 6. school textbooks distribution is a problem

After a thorough discussion the flaor could reach at the following consensus.

Mechanhm for Distributing Books.

From main center directly to the weredas and from there to the respective schools

'Ihe mechanism of distribution of books should/can not underestimate the prevailing decenaalized system of administration which taLes into account accountability, amtrol and auditing ot inventory.

1. Instead of many weredas sending their ringle wereda education officer (most of than have onty one), zanol rcpmcntativa can came to the region and make, together with the region, ammgemmcs for effective means of disaibutim.

2 If the wered88 anne to the region for rccebbg books their (wmda education officer's) other imporrant brought by the wcrcda to the building sites maldng d m y payments, rqorhg etc. w i l l b e ~ v e l y a € f ~

3. So the z d rqmseatative receive the books from the "Centid Store" register the type and number of books for each wends in separate models No. 19 and distribute the books to each wereda until all wmdas receive their shan. This method can reduce time and increase efficiency. By do'mg so ~ccountability and control can be maintained.

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS

Oct. 24,1995 G.C.

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS Page 127

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2 1 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

-35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Gitet Gezahegn Girmay Hadp Zerai Alemu K i m WGebriet G/Giorgis GJEgziabher AlemMebrahtu Tesfay WMchael AtsedeBeymc Girmay WMariarn KesneShishay Bey- Yainu AtsedtKassa G/Tsadkan WMchel Mulugeta Ambaye Kiros Tegegne kenaw GA4edhin Meaza Tesfay Girmay Kahsay GueshG/Silassc Guesh Hadgu Tsegay Mehirttc-Ab Giros GMeariarn Haduh Gebru Bcrbne Kidam AbaheKahsay AlanseMKebedew S o l ~ m o n C i / I ~ ZenawiHmarhm Abmn Ayalew Jemal Mohammed GituGMchael WSilassieTadesse G/Michael Balga ZaaiGMchael Kidanc Behaw Bcrhane Ginnay Desta GIHiwot

REB REB Central REB Mekelle Mekelle Mekelle Mekelle Mekelle Westem WecUern Western Mekellc Mekelle Eastern Eastern Mekelle Southem Western Eastern Mekelle Mekelle Central Central Mekelie Western REB/Mekelle Southern Central Zone Central Zone Central Zone Southern Mekelle Central Central Central Mekelle

Audit & Inspection officer Head, PRs Teacher Curriculum T.TeacWs Association Sea. REBA488sMadia REB/Division Head FtEBmvision Head REBISUpervision Head WcrcdaEducationalOfficer

>> >> >> School Director REBIcumiclum Head REB~Division Head WcrcdaEdcuacionalHead

>> >> >> Informarion Blneau SPC. Head, Educational Dept

>> >> >> REB/Dcvision Head

>> >> >> Educational Dept. Head Teacher Curriculum (REB) Zonal Edu. Officer Expen Head Edu. Dept School Direaor SPC Officer Teacher WnedaEdu.Officer manning Bureau Director Teacher W d Edu. Edu. Officer

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS

FINAL WORKSHOP

Oct. 4, 1995 G.C.

Summary to the T i day's sssiona - Two visions wert presented in the workshop.

A. A vision presented by Ato Hadush Gebru from the central zone has the following points.

1. In decenealization authority and responsibility should be semi or fully balanced depending on the nature and stage of development of the new system; iie. both the top and lower kvels of the system ought to exercise both authority and responsibility.

2. Decentraked Decision-Making and implementation is a new phenomenon for us in both concept and practical operation. Because we have been w m h g under centralizEd systems of management for decades.

3. Decision makers must reach out the appqmiatc sections of the society down the ladder of the system and discuss about the nature of the policy.

4. New ideas for decision making or ncommendatiom or possible change of policy can ananate from schools wmdas or even parents; and if the top level thinks a new policy, then it has to go down to the grass-root level for discussion.

5. In the process of making decisions or formulating decision, there should exist consultations, cooperation and participation of both the top and lowa levels.

B. The d vision by Ato Gush Hadgu from the Eastern zaae and Alans~gad Kcbedew from western zone has the following points.

Dcccnmlization and danomthtian of education in today's Ethiopia is a fundamental P===- Ilhe school as an oqdzation is the focus of educational activities. Schools aperate in intmction with the community. The teacher is the man who knows well about the problans arise and should able to make a qualitatively better decision to meet the solution. An organization is said to be ccn~alized if authority is morc ccmccntratui at the top management. Decentralization is very important for it allows sharing of authority and tesponsibiities to the lower and top level of management. 'fhcn, thc following principles should be included.

Role of tap management should be defimed. Centralhd conml and management system should be established.

* Authority, of Regional, zonal and wereda should be c ~ a i Balance mhould be maintained between central id and decentdization.

* Jobs (tasks) of the different levels of the systan should be defined

C. Resolution which the participants have anne up with.

1. In order to make decentralization operational training should be encouraged up to the school level.

2. Directives which facilitate access, equity and quality, with a ddined authorities and responsibilities should be drafted as soon as possible participating the people at all levels of the system.

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS

3. Appropriate man power and structure which are believed to facilitate access. equity and quality should be assigned and established at the schools, werda and zonal levels.

4. We believe that we can overcame the very problems of education seen during the workshop need help of the diffaent supporting o r ~ o m . Thus, we call upon USAID and other NGOs to ux~tribute their suppon

5. We urge the concern& organs of the system, the state and NGOs to makc necessary mgcmcnts for the continuation of such a research for it is a key to point out the hindrances and then find solutions for them.

ANNEX M: THE MINUTES (SUMMARIES) OF THE WORKSHOPS

USAID/BESO DECENTRALIZATION OF BASIC EDUCATION STUDY FIRST WORKSHOP -- SHIRE INDASELASSIE

at the Western Zoba Education OfFke; on Saturday, 19/8/95 G.C. - 13/12/87 E.C.

WORgSHOP CONSENSUS

Workshop Manbas unnnimously expressed the following views:

1. Direct Transport of books from Region to Woreda or even fnnn the Region directly to the school, is both possible and aaent

2 Enacting Direct transport of books from tyhe Region to the Woreda or school would require a rdm of the existing structmt, and the d o a of conditions that would be favaablc for reform.

ANNEX N: B W K DISTRIBUTION WORKSHOP page 131

USAIDIBESO DECENTRALIZATION OF BASIC EDUCATION STUDY . 2& WORKSHOP - MEKELLE

AT REGIONAL EDUCATION BUREAU, on Friday, August 25,1995 G.C.-

Workshop Proposal --- 1 ~ d b y A v ~ CmtmiZmr

MechrnislD for Metributinn books to Scbods

I. Option From main center directly to the weredas and from there to the respective schools.

2 Procedure (Consideration)

- The mechanism of distribution of books should /can not underestimate the prevailing decentralized system of administration which takes into account accountability, control and auditing or inventory.

- Responsible bodies should receive and give out materials to the already set of means of control in order to fight the deeply rooted misuse of money- (corruption) and exactly know who receives what and how many.

3. Mechanism of Distribution

Solaceofboolcs

,.....- . . - . . - ' .' (could be in Addis Ababa or REB)

[ - I zone )

(schools) 1. Instead of many Weredas sending their single Wereda Edu. officer (most of them

have only one), zonal representatives can come to the region and make, together with the region, arrangements for effective means of drstribution.

2. If the Wetedas come to the region for receiving books their (Woreda Edu. officer's) other important duties such as transpofbng building materials brought by the weda to the building sites, making salary payments, reporting, etc. will be negatively affected.

3. So the zonal representatives receive the books from the %entral Store" register the type and nunber of books for each wereda in separate models No. 19 and distribute the books to each wereda until all wefedas receive their share. This method can reduce time and increase efficiency. By doing so accountability and control can be maintained.

ANNM N: BOOK DISTRIBUTION WORKSHOP -S page 132

USAIDIBESO DECENTRALIZATION OF BASIC EDUCATION STUDY 2"d WORKSHOP - M E K F u

AT REGIONAL EDUCATION BUREAU, on Friday, August 25,1995 G.C.-

Workshop Proposal --- 2 ~ d b y A & G v u l r . E a c u n r Z a u

As mentioned in the workshop conducted by USAID, the system of book distribution that is on being used is from the Regional Education Bureau (REB) to Zonal Education Offce (ZEO), then from ZEO to Wcreda Education Office (WEO), and finally from WE0 to the schools. 'Lbis systan of book distribution has led to the misuse of money, manpower and time. Also, it has rwulted in the dqmdlion and d e s W o n of mauy books, which has caused a decnase in their numbers. 'Lhcsc conditions have brought about negative effcas m building the capacity and knowledge of studcats. Unloading the textbooks taken from the REB and storing them for a long time in the Zones been an additional problem.

As the system shouldn't continue m the fume in the way it is going on these days, it is a time to formulate a new and progressive textbook distribution approach to change the old system.

So to make the printed textbooks reach to the hands of students (usess), the participaats of the workshop held in the Regional Education Bureau hall on 19/12/1987 E.C. have proposed the following idea to solve the existing problem:

1. Tbe Regional Education Bureau (REB) should send the textboob directly to the Wersbr, not to the a m s . In doing so, the REB has to allocate all the neassay budget, manpower and means of aansponation. The reason for advocating such a suggestion is the fact that the REB has been M b u t i n g the texts to the Zones by allocating budget, maupowe and transportation costs. But the old a@, as mentioned above, has ban causing obstacles in providing the needed service to students. To get rid of this problem, the textboob should be sent from the Region d h c t l y to the Waedas, evea though it might mean additional workldfortheREB.

2. With regard to mpnsibility, it is obvious that there should be a doner and a recipieat. Therefore, the Woreda, after d v i n g the materials, should inform the Zone that they have received the textbooks. And the REB, which is disaibuthg mMerials to the different Worcdas, should also inform the Zone that they have distributed the textbooks.

3. The a d d i t i d load of work in the REB , while f ~ ~ g faster and effective distribution of textbooks, requires the mobilization of budget, manpower and mqmmtion facilities.

4. 'Zhe weredas should use the tricks of their respective Zones if there an any trampomtion probkm. But, basically the REB from now onwards should be thinking about the needed amountofbudgetwhi&enabksthe~mIsto$etthebooksfrrnnthewaedabookcenters.

5. 'Ihe Zcme has to infonn the Region of the quantity and type of textbooks needed to be used in the future. Besides, the Zone should control not only whether or not the textbodcs have reached the scbols mfely, but whether the textbooks art reaching the schools m a timely fashicm, as well.

6. 'Ihe REB bas to devise a system that goes down to the Zones to @cxm the activities mentioned above and the REB has to get evaluations and c o a s m v e ickw from the opaating sys-

ANNEX N: BOOK DISTRIBUTION WORKSHOP DOCUMENTS page 133

USAIDIBESO Decentralization of Basic Education Study. Vision for Decentralization of Management in Education

Oct. 4, 1995

1. Back mound.

When there seems a need f a reorganizing a school system, involving self-contained class system, upgrading a school from aae level o the next level of education and setting out a shift system accepable to both urban and rural rchoois, it appears neccs&wy to adopt a policy. Eor such a policy to be viable it is vital to evaluate it in term of its possible implementation.

Policy formulators and policy implementors and other members of the society who might be affcctd by the policy ought to pool ideas togetha and reach understandings about the necessity, conteat and implancnraticm of the policy as well as about who will be involved in the implementation process.

This short article tries to assess the need for mutual coopmtion and understanding between policy formulators or decision makers and policy implementors. It is argued, here, that even though too much of the responsibility f a implanentation is kft for the lower level of the management system, authority and responsibility should be balanced in the light of decentralization of basic education an alumative for development. In this arcicle, the terms "policy formulators" and ''decision makers" are used exchangeable.

Balanced Authoritv and Re~~~nsibilftv; 2. A Balanced diet for edtkiencv of work and Develo~mer&

In a centlalized system, policies are f~~mulatcd at tbe top level of the xxmapnrnt system because the top level maaaganmt is endowed with all the authority neoe~ary to make deci8iam. What has bees decided at the top are thrown down to the lowa level or grass root level for implemmtation. It is the lowa level that is held rcspodble for implanenring what has been decided at the top. IIhe implemmting body does not have a say what w eva in the makjng of the decision.

In this situation irnplcmentors develop negative attitude towards the new rasks to be accomplished in order to put the new m i o n or poiicy into operation which evcmally develops into chaos. The relationship between authority and rcaponsibility in such a systan can be shown as follows.

MOE A t Aurhority (zao level for school) Region A m j a R= Responsibility wersda sdlool

0 1 2 3 4 5

Fig. 1. Rckionship betwm authority and responsibility in a cenaalized system.

In a decentralized system, howeva, the ratio between authority and mponsibility are somehow d- balanced or fully balanced depending on the nature and stage of development af the new system. here, both the top level and lowa kvel of the system ought to exmchc both authority and responsibility in order to achieve mal change and development The relationship of A and R can be shown as follows.

ANNEX 0: THE TWO BASIC VISIONS Page 1 34

0 1 2 3 4 5 Region / \-I 1 A= Authority (above one level for school)

R= Responsibility Wereda School

Fig. 2. Relationship Wn A & R. showing both the top and lower levels of the system exercising authority and both held responsible for their activities.

3. Decision-mrrkinn and Im~lementation.

Since we have been working under cenealized systans of management f a decades, the notion of decentraked system is a new phenomenon for us in both concept and practical operation. It bas been four years now since we sunred introducing ourselves to the new model though still are may lack the means and expertise to fully exercise it. However, in such a system both authotity and responsibility are somehow balanced in the different kvels of management. Even though decisions or policy formulations are ideally made at the top level managcmmt, it seems to me that the inherent nawe of the sysem provides several chnnels far decision makers and implementors to consult each other and coopaate in the making of the decisions and in implemeating them. Hat we can observe two ways of decision-maling. One of them can be the one that may aop up at the top level, and the other can be that ideas emanate from the lo- or grass-root level which might be adopted by the top level f a making decisions. They axe discussed separately here under.

3.1. Decision made at the top b e 1 management.

The need for formulating educational policy that suits the new system might crop up at the top level of the management system. But prior to its implementation, the lower kvel of management, the implematton, and other sections of the satiety who might be atTcctcd when the decision is implemented must be consulted. The dccisian makers must reach out the appmpriate setxiom ob the society down the ladder of the systan; including the implementors, of come; and discuss with them about the nature of the decision or policy, its irnplanentation mechanisms, and the resultant effect f a development sought after its implementation, and other related issues. This means that policy formulators should not impose decisions upon implementon, but rather they should influence and amvince policy implementor8 and other concerned segments of the society about the ncccmity and crucial nature of the policy. In this way policy implementon, and others will feel amtented that they have been consulted and heard by the top level management. And e v e they will accept the change and show readinus to put the new policy into operation. The outcome of wch coawltancy and acceptance can bring about the desired and tangible changes and devclopmaa ?hie cyck can be shown as follows.

flow of consultation and interaction

initial decision I

flow of feed back for final decision and implementation

ANNEX 0: THE TWO BASIC V I S I ~ Page 135

Fig. 3. Initial decision or policy cropping up at the top level but goes down the system to accommodate implementars' views-participation.

3.2. New Ideas for Decision-makhg develop at the lower level.

As a consequence of encountexing problans that are found bottle-necks f a effective work and development, new ideas or mummadations f a possible change of policy can emanate from schooIs, wedas , zones or evar parents. These ideas, depending on the nature and degree of social xtaction that might be created as a result of their implementation, can be put into action after local consultation and approval or they can be sent up to the higher authorities of the system far considerations. The higher authorities inturn can c a q w t further resuach wodr at the grassroot kvel whose findings might n d t a t e the fondation of a new policy. If a new policy is sought, then it has to go dawn to the grass- root level far discussion as cited above in number 3.1. this cycle of d m t i o n can be b w 1 1 as follows.

flow of initial ideas flow of consultation for decision making

Fig. 4. Initial ideas ematme 6wn the lower or gnrse-rmt level but go up the system for considerations and adoprim to j3088ible policy-malring.

The two views of dscLion making when put together suggest the same mechauh far decision-making and implanentation. Thu is, in the pmxa of malting decisions or formulrtinp policies, thae b u l d exist consultations, coopaation and pmicipath by both the top and lower levels of the managunent systan as well as the policy implemmm. 'Ik: interaction of the concemsd bodies (ar kveb) cnate comprehensive dimensions for continuous change and development in a spiral form. -

Fig. 5. Integrated s o w and flows of initial policy and new ideas going down and up the system for consultation and consideration resulting in continuous change and development of educalional system.

ANNEX 0: THE TWO BASIC VISIONS Pge 136

The Manaeement of Decentralized Educational svstem1

Prepared for the discussion of the Decmtmkation workshop USAID - BESO Oct. 2-4,1995

MekeUe (Tigray)

BY: Gu'ush Hadgu, from the Eastern Zone Alemseged Kebedouys, h m the Western Zonc

INTRODUCTION: The decenrrabtion and democratization of Education in today's Ethiopia is a fundamental

process of change from a cmaalized burcaucdc system to a democratic fedaal system where the people are sovereign. Democracy entails enlightened responsible pazticipation by communication, decision- making with the necessary compaence, societal efficiency and effectiveness. Hence the neasaruy i n f d o n , know-how and professional input must be at the disposal of participants and decision- makers.

SCHOOLS AS ORGANIZATIONS: Schools as qpizat ions art social systems comprised of h a t i n g and interrelated

personalities bound togetha in mutually interdependent relationships. In the hierarchy of the education system. the school as an organhation is the focus of activities

whereby the teaching - learning process, including the crariculum and -curricular is carried on with professional competence in a democratic amosphere with the coordinated efforts of the community it mes. The environment is the source of input of the school, like wire, the output of the school d c e s the environment (community).

In a school, educated individuals arc created, and by educated is meant - harmonious pcmmahty with generic and transformable knowledge, abiities, skills and attitudes with the essential productive, creative and appreciative values.

The school does not operate in isolation but in interaction with the community it acmes, the environment. The students come from the enviromnent The enviromneat contributes materials, energy, information, cultural values, etc.

'Ihe school returns educated pasons, infomation and change. Schools incorporate aspects of enviromnent. Many of the techniques, skills, and knowledge are not invented by the school; but they arc brought from within the environments and become part of the systems. Likewise, beliefs, norms, rules, and understandings are part of the organization. Participants, clients, constituents all participate in and are carriers of culture.

NATURE AND MEANING OF DECENTWIJZATION: Man nearest the m t of action is in a relatively better position to undastand the complexities of

the problem, d make a qualitatively better decision to meet the situation. An ~ ~ 0 1 1 is said to be c e n t d i d if authorities (the right to command action) is mare

concentrated with top managanat, and dcccntralkcd if authority is widely delegated to lower levels of managers. By &legation, it is meant the process through which assigmnena, are distributed downwards along each organizatiorurl echelon. Thcdort, dcccnfdbtion refera tot he process of dele- ceneal government functions to local or regional amcturcs within the govanmental suucture. It is the anpowament, giving greater responsibilities or tasks to low levels. It is the reforms, decision making to improve education by changing the s m of the educational system. Howeva, no organization is completely cenhalizcd or decentdizcd.

' Papers presented for discussion by tthe Minisuty of Education Center for Educational staff development; extracted or compiled from writing of: Harold Koone; R.D. Agarwat; Donald R. Winkler, Keiz Bloorna; Ayaleu Shibeshi, Y i Workneh; and Abathun Adassu.

ANNEX 0: THE TWO BASIC VISIONS Page 137

The democratization and decentralization process is not a one-shot affair. It needs time and persistent effort to take root in the fabrics of society to bring about profound chaage for the better.

ANNEX 0: THE TWO BASIC VISIONS

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DECENTRALIZATION:

1. Role of top management should be d@ned The role of the top management of the educational system, in our case, the Regional., Zonal, and

Woteda should be clearly defined. Top management must concentrate on demmhbg the objective for the whole organintion; developing strategies, long and short-term plans, basad on the policy formulated.

2. C e d i z e d controls and managcmcnt should be esrabliskd Both the top management and each Regional, Zonal, and We& Head should know clearly what

is expected from them, in terms of verifiable objectives. If not, what happens is fragmentation and not decenaalization.

3. Authoriry of Regional, Zonal and Wen& should be clarified If boundaries of their authorities an not set out clearly, often frictions and cd l i c t s arise between

top management and decision-,rnakecs at all levels. Hence, operating relationship of authority should be clearly spelled out

4. Balance should be maintained bmveen Centralization and Lkccntralization Decentralization has its own limitations, such as: - Grater variety - Different standards - Inncase camplaity of coordination - Loss of conml by the upper level of mauagcment - A limited availability of q-ed managas - Considerable expenses required for training managus, etc.

Generally, thm is a question of resources. Thus, if dexatmlimion is to be applied successfully, it should be balsnced by careful centmlimicm. It implies that while ZOMI and Woreda offices and even schools arc to be given full aperatiag responsibility, their deciaicm rhould be guided tbrough ce~wl ized planning, policy, coordination, and c011trols. It needs careful amideration of what is to be &centralid and what is to be cenaaikd and maintaining the balaace between tbe two.

SUGGESTED JOBS (VISION) FOR THE SCHOOL, WERED& ZONAL, AND REGIONAL LEVELS OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF TIGRAY For effective and efficient management of education, based on the educational objectives, policy,

strategy, principles of decentdimion and work experiences, each level of the systan has to have specified, clarified, and defined jobs or Iwponsibilities.

1. Limits on the number of students and class size 2. Based sumdad of the acackmic calendar, implements, tbe syllabus, cunicular, and co-

cunicular activities. 3. Decides and c h promotion policy. 4. Prepar#, ahart and long-range plans based on the policy and strategies and educational

objectives, with the nccamy r#~)mxs (inputs) needed and impluna~t~ when approved by the Wereda

5. Conducts research on cases of educational problems m collabatation with the teachas and community.

6. Evaluates the educational programs, syllabus, texts and pufocmancca of the personnel, etc. 7. Tries to find resources (mMerials, funds, etc.) which helps to facilitate the teaching - learning process and alleviate school problems for the sub-national units - community, parents, individuals, and voluntary organizations, etc.

ANNEX 0: THE TWO BASIC VISIONS

Perform supervisory activities, peer teaching, observation (class), exchange of experiences among the teachers. Based on the guideline (policy) and strategies. resources and W c d a Education Officers' ideas, expands class hnimntally, as well as vertically. Construction and maintenance of buildings (classrooms) and fumiturt in oollaborations with the commlmity, govemment and non-govcrxncntal orgmhti0118. Coordinates, controls, and audits the educational programs performed by the sub-units of the school as a system and the local funds. Conduct meetings with p t s , teachers, field trips, visits, ~ t s days, etc. Requests taxbg rmkrhls, including textbooks, bridges, manpower to the Woreda on time and distributes. Gives final decision on disciplinary p l o b h of s ~ t s , but that of the pcrsonnel will be eeatedaccordingtocodeofthecivilsavants,aodapp~vedbytheWnda Gives incmtivo for teachers and other pmounel. Completes reports and other administrative communications to and with the Waeda and others.

11. JOBS RELATED TO THE WEREDA EDUCATION OFFICE Based on the policy, strategy, and guidelines of the Region and Zone, the WeFeda should perform

the following responsibilities:

1. Rcpares short and long-range plans based on the school plans and the information wllected with the necessary rwources needed and implement it when approved by the Zone.

2. Depending on the re~)urccs the Waeda approves the expaarion of achools horizontally and vertically, as well as that of the fint level of the saucanr (1-4). And demands the ZoDe for the Expansion of full primary school.

3. Requests and distributes the teaching muerirrls, including textbooks to the schools m time. 4. Perfonns supenrirory activities along with wo~Mops, 8 a n i ~ 1 ~ and short training. 5. Sekctsbestcandidatesofteafhersiacollebonrionwiththeschoobneaby. 6. Opaw new schools when appoved by the Zone. 7. Establishes strong elations ships with the sub-national units, community, parents, and

volllnplry ogmtzaOan . . to alleviate educasioaal problems.

8. Evaluates the educational plarmrA programs, syllabus, ttxts and otha educational materials, as well as perfo!mmcc of staff persarmel.

9. Perfarms minor rtccsrch an educational problems, in collabodm with the schools. 10. Controls and audits the s y ~ e m (school) and local funds, as well as the mataials. 11. Strengthening and supporting the operative peas of the schools (managunmt). 12. Reports and perfoms otha administrative communications with the rwpective organhtions, and others. 13. hdgns and W~ll teachers and persotme1 within tbc Wends 14. Delegate8 more ruponsibiiities and authority to schools, depeDding on the capacity and

competence rod - available. 15. ...

m. JOBS RELATED m THE ZONES: Based on the poticy and mucgy of the education sysum, the Z d Education Office perfoms

the following rwpodbilities:

1. Pnpcrrw short aad long-range plans, based on the plans of the schools and Wmdas, as wall vas with infoanation (problems) of tht Zone, with all necwlery inputa.

2. Appovw the demand of the W d on opening new rchools and upgrading to the secand level of the primmy schooL

3. Performs promotion, assignment, and trausfer of teachers and other personael.

ANNEX 0: THE TWO BASIC VISIONS

Evaluates the educational program sand plans of the Zone, and performance of the staff pa%%1nel, syllabus, teaching materials, textbooks, etc. In coordination with the Wereda, performs research activities on educational problems. Facilitaccs and sangtheas the Wereda and School management. Decides and approves on cases of issues on disciplimy problems of personnel of the Waeda and schools. Cmdination, controls and audits the educational plan and programs, l kmce and materials in the zone. Establishes strong relationships with governmental, non-governmental organizations, community, in orda to facilitate school conditions. Should delegate mpcmsibilities aud authorities to Weredas4 depending on the input it has and the c o m m e f f c c t i v ~ and efficiency. Reports and perfonns otha dmhismive canmuni- to and with the respecrive bodies and o h .

IV. JOBS CTASILS) RELATED m TEE REGION B a d on the jobs designed to be performed by the center arc: - the overall policy and shatcgy formulation - standards - evaluation - professional input, and - capacity building, etc.

Hence, the Regional education system dqm& on the center to paform the following tasks: 1. Prepans &at and long-tam plans of the overall educational system with the necessary

r c q u i s i ~ f~nsouIces. 2. Rcpans cunicuium and syllabus, as well as national cxauunaho . .

118. 3. Evaluation of activities of the educational p r o m and perfomawe tasks of those pasonael

~ccounted to i t 4. Perform s- activities and technical support acwqmied with wokhops, seminars,

and training (short and in-mvb). 5. C o o r d i n a t e s a n d ~ ~ l l t r o l s t h e ~ o n a l ~ a n d p l a a s . 6. Designs the jobs (tasks) of the lower managuncnt levels. 7. Delegates mom rrcdpomibilitic~ depeadias on the samgtb, competence, and nsolmxs

available. 8. Prepam guidehues to the lower levels of management 9. Produces the necessary tuwhg rmuaials, including texts, and distributes them to the

respective areas. - 10. Paforms baseline rwearch in collaboration with the Zoaes, Wueda, and schools on the o v d educational systan. 1 1. Perf- r q m h g and other administrative and communicating tasks, to and respective of

gwenrmcntal pad noa-gov~cnml orgmhtions, based on the goverpmental stmane. 12. ...

ANNEX 0: THE TWO BASIC VISIONS

BESO DECENTRALIZATION STUDY

FINAL W O W H O P CONSENSUS

OCrOBER 4,1995

Resolution which the pmicipanta have come up with.

1. InordertomaLe~~onOperationaltrainingshouldbeeaco~uptotheschool level.

2. M v e s which facilitate access, equity and quality, with a d d b d authorities and responsibilities should be drafted as soan as posllibk participbg the people at all levels of the system.

3. Appropriate man power and saucarre which arc believed to facilitate aaxs8, equity and quality should be assigned and established at the whools, wada d zonal levels.

4. We believe that we can overcome the very problems of educatiaa IEUI dm& the workshop need help of the different supporting oqanhticms. Thus, we call upon USAID and otba NGOs to contribute their nrppart

5. Weugetheconcerwdagansofthesystesn,theIUltemdNOOItomrlce~ mangcmcnta for the amtinuation of such a m h for it is a key to point out the hindrances and then find mlutions for tban.

ANNEX F? THE FINAL WORKSHOP CONSENSUS page 142

ABEL 2 BRIDGING ACTIVITY

DECENTRALIZATION STUDY for the

BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM OVERHAUL (BESO) in Ethiopia