Transforming education in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has achieved remarkable progress in expanding access to education over the past twenty years, but challenges related to equity remain significant, and learning outcomes have declined in recent years.

Numerous crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict situations, drought and floods have forced millions of children out of school since 2021. As of 2022, around 90% of 10-year-old children lacked basic reading skills.

Ethiopia is working with GPE and other partners to improve learning outcomes with a focus on equity. As prioritized in the country’s Education Sector Development Plan 2020-2025, the government aims to enhance the quality of teaching and learning by better supporting school leaders and teachers with training, aligning teaching and learning materials to the new curriculum, and establishing more effective quality assurance mechanisms.

To improve access to education, Ethiopia and partners will reconstruct damaged schools, establish school feeding programs where needed, and implement accelerated learning programs for children who have dropped out of school.

Additional interventions to make the education in Ethiopia more equitable and inclusive include community awareness programs on the barriers to education for girls and children with disabilities, among others.

Result story

Ethiopia: A long-term commitment to education spurs results

  • Since 2008, GPE grants totaling US$368 million have supported education reforms through the General Education Quality Improvement Program (GEQIP) to improve the quality of teaching and learning in Ethiopia’s 40,000 schools.
  • GPE’s support to Ethiopia aimed to train teachers, provide effective learning materials, and develop relevant curricula, among other interventions.
  • Results are palpable: According to a national learning assessment, students’ proficiency in all subjects increased by 57% in grade 4 and by 120% in grade 8 between 2011 and 2015.

Key data

30%

out-of-school rate for children of lower-secondary school age

42%

of children start learning one year before entering primary school

Grants

(data as of October 11, 2024)

 
  • Type: System transformation and Girls' Education Accelerator

    Years: 2024 - 2028

    Allocation: US$132,590,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: UNICEF

  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2024 - 2028

    Allocation: US$4,100,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: WB

  • Type: Multiplier

    Years: 2024 - 2026

    Allocation: US$2,572,779

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: UNICEF

  • Type: Program development

    Years: 2024 - 2025

    Allocation: US$200,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: WB

  • Type: Program implementation

    Years: 2021 - 2025

    Allocation: US$125,000,000

    Utilization: US$55,779,958

    Grant agent: WB

  • Type: Multiplier

    Years: 2021 - 2025

    Allocation: US$20,000,000

    Utilization: US$12,800,000

    Grant agent: WB

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting the Basic Education Network Ethiopia (BEN-E) for the 2020-2023 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).

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