Burgeoning higher education is beset by shortcomings

Higher education in Ethiopia is beset by low levels of quality, relevance and academic freedom, despite an unprecedented expansion of state and private higher education and rising enrolment, writes Seleshi Tessema for Anadolu Agency.

Molla Tsegaye, head of the Ethiopian Private Higher Education Institution Association, which represents 117 private universities, colleges and vocational training institutes, told Anadolu Agency that Ethiopia is in the midst of an expansion of higher education. “By all accounts, the pace of expansion of public and private higher education, which began in the 1990s, was overwhelming,” said Tsegaye. “Ethiopia, which had three public universities at the beginning of the 1990s, enrolling some 18,000 students, has now 306 private higher education institutions and five fully-fledged private and 55 public universities.”

Tsegaye said quality, relevance and learning outcomes in higher education are some of the most fundamental problems created with the expansion.
Full report on the AA site