Attempts at Educational Reform in Ethiopia: A Top-Down or a Bottom-Up Reform? Seyoum Tefera, Ethiopian Journal of Education

Abstract

The major purpose of this Paper is tofurther depict and
convey the right picture and message of the new and operational
"Education and Training Policy" to general readers. This Paper also
attempts, through all possible means, to respond to some of the not
well-~hought-out statements reflected on the ETHIOPIAN JOURNAL
OF EDUCATION (December, 1996) under the title "Attempts at
Educational Reform in Ethiopia: A Top-down or a Bottom-up
Reform?" authored by Dr. Seyoum Tefera, an Associate Professor, at
the Department of Educational Administration, Addis Ababa
University. This Paper shall not, under any circumstances, attempt to
foolhardly engage in re-incriminations. It reflects on the existing
educational reality. On the basis of the evolutionary. development of
the Ethiopian educational · system, the Paper also attempts to
historically trace the tortuous path that the Ethiopian education system
has traversed through in the da~k past. Finally, in dra'wing a
conclusion, the Paper views the steps taken by the Ministry of
Education of the FDRE to bring about a bottom-up democratic
education reform,' as opposed to top-down.