Open Letter to the Minister of Education.
Dear Dr. Birhanu,
First, let me congratulate you on your courageous and admirable work in the last few years as a Minister to reform the education systems in Ethiopia. I say courageous because the context and the complexity of the challenges you inherited are truly mind boggling. The utter abyss and deterioration of the quality of education coupled with weak institutional capacity and fragmented social and political consensus makes your endeavor unthinkable. Amid all these you have started an unenviable but historical undertaking which I am sure future historians will honor you for it.
I am of the view that ideas need to be contested, and citizens need to agree to disagree but through all these our nation’s interest requires us to give away our personal extreme views and take the public interest at the heart of our political machinations. Yeah..I might sound utopian but it is my core belief.
There are lots of dissenting voices often with no clear alternative path. I beg to differ and would like to throw my two cents worth. First, while we all are acknowledging the quality of Ethiopia’s education system is not fit for purpose, but few of us are able to contribute in any manner. Again, I would applaud you for taking the helm and facing the challenge in a pragmatic manner, is truly trail blazing.
To be clear the purpose of my letter is to express my concern about the recent announcement – swaying towards applied curriculum’ to advance economic growth, skills and innovation “.
My personal concern is that this emphasis in applied curriculum, technology and innovation not to come at the expense of the Arts and humanities. While the reasons economic focus is clear and doesn’t require justification for a nation still struggling to feed its citizens – alleviating poverty and not addressing apathy will only exacerbate our “national compassion deficiency”. Neglect and scorn for the arts and humanities puts the quality of all our lives, and the health of an already fractured societal cohesion at risk. I also understand that Ethiopia is a nation of 120 million people, majority young people with no meaningful aspiration for gainful employment may make my argument so thin. Let me try !
The unfettered focus of our education as means to an end for economic growth if unchecked is a poison chalice. Many aspects of a human beings’ quality of life are not well linked to economic growth (time and again empirical studies have shown that political liberty, health and education are poorly co related with economic growth or wealth)- a case in point Equatorial Guinea, despite having significant oil wealth and South Africa with enormous mineral resources and advanced economy.
No doubt, our national interest requires us to have a strong economy underpinned by an ease of doing business, free of rent seeking that enables millions to aspire to fulfill their dreams and live in dignity. This economic interest, too, requires us to draw on the humanities and arts, to promote a climate of responsible and watchful stewardship and a culture of creative innovation. Thus, we are not forced to choose between a form of education that promotes economic growth or good citizenship. They are not mutually exclusive rather complimentary. Liberal education enables us cultivate capacities for critical thinking and reflection which are crucial for active political participation. The ability to think well about a wide range of cultures, groups and nations in the context of a grasp of global economy. Learn and analyze the history of many national and group interactions is crucial in order nations to deal responsibly with the problems we currently face as individuals, as Africans, and members of an increasingly interdependent world. The ability to imagine the experience of another- a capacity almost all human beings possess in some form- needs to be greatly enhanced and refined if we are to have any hope of sustaining decent institutions across the many divisions that any modern society contains.
I know many parents are ashamed of children who study social sciences (literature or arts). Literature and philosophy have changed the world, but parents all over the world (particularly migrants in the western world) are more likely to fret if their children are financially illiterate than if their training in the humanities is deficient. Countries with strong liberal educations are able to build strong democratic institutions which have endured the test of time. My adopted country Australia (with all it dark history) was able to build vibrant democratic institution which allows people from all walks of life to live in harmony without being bitter about its past and no doubt one factor is access and availability of education in arts and humanities
Great educators and nation builders understand how the arts and humanities teach children the critical thinking that is necessary for independent action and for intelligent resistance to the power of blind tradition and authority. Students of art and literature also learn to imagine the situations of others, a capacity that is essential for a successful democracy, a necessary cultivation of our “inner eyes”.
The humanities and arts contribute to the development of young children at play as well as that of university student. The play of young children is educational, showing children how they can get along with others without maintaining total control. It connects “experiences of vulnerability and surprise to curiosity to wonder, rather than pressure and anxiety (symptoms of early childhood education in middle class Ethiopia)
While our nation’s focus is alleviating our people from the abject of poverty, we need to be equally focused to ensure the education system enables people to think critically and encourages active citizenship.
My own personal experience of the education system in my early school years like many of my generation was rote learning, which took so much effort to unlearn (for an old dog a new trick is difficult but persisted -still unlearning) after I moved to Australia in my mid-20s. I am in no delusion it will not be easy to institute a shift in a different pedagogy- from rote to Socratic for example…
I am aware that you have taught at UC Berkeley. Which is well-known for its liberal arts education. The College of Letters and Science (L&S) is the largest and most prestigious teaching and research unit at Berkeley, encompassing a wide range of disciplines including humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and the arts. I am also aware L&S provides broad-based liberal arts education that encourages students to think deeply, critically, and creatively.
I don’t doubt for a minute that you are cognizant of the role and advantage of liberal arts education for a nation. I firmly believe it is one of the critical pillars to bring about both economic and broader societal change in alleviating the ills afflicting our nation – poverty and apathy.
Liberal arts education emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This helps individuals analyze complex issues from multiple perspectives, fostering a more nuanced understanding of societal problems, this is particular importance where the noise and competing voices are readily loud and deafening – ability to decern and have a questioning stance is priceless..
Humanities subjects, such as literature, history, and philosophy, encourage students to explore diverse human experiences and cultures. This promotes empathy and a deeper understanding of different viewpoints, which is essential in a fragmented society like ours – to see beyond our immediate tribe and ethnicity. Liberal arts education often includes a focus on civic responsibility and ethical reasoning (evidence of moral decadence is everywhere to see, there is no doubt the decline of faith and religion as viable social force). This prepares students to engage thoughtfully and responsibly in their communities, contributing to a more cohesive society. My own experience in high school was at 11th grade, I had to choose either social science or natural science- I ended up choosing social science (I had great interest in history and politics)- the choice should not have been either or. I should have been able to mix and choose not to give up my love for biology – interdisciplinary pedagogy should have been available.
The interdisciplinary nature of liberal arts encourages creativity and innovation. By integrating knowledge from various fields, students can develop unique solutions to contemporary issues. In addition, liberal arts education hones students’ abilities to articulate their ideas clearly and persuasively, facilitating better dialogue and understanding. In essence, liberal arts and humanities education equip individuals with the intellectual tools and ethical frameworks needed to navigate and mend a fragmented society. Both ecclesiastical and imamate have struggled to do.
Cultivating global citizenship, sense of duty to our fellow human being and public service is the only panacea to unclutch us from the current quagmire that we Ethiopians find ourselves in. This can only crystallize if we invest in the mind and hearts of the current and future generation through interdisciplinary pedagogy that embeds arts and humanities in equal footings with applied curriculum.
Let me leave you with a quote from one of the greatest critical thinkers all things education, the Indian Nobel Prize laureate in literature and founder of an experimental school and university – Rabindranath Tagore-
…….While making use of material possessions, man has to be careful to protect himself from their tyranny, If he is weak enough to grow smaller to fit himself to his covering, then it becomes a process of gradual suicide by shrinkage of the soul…. Rabindranath Tagore- Indian educator. C 1917
Yours truly
Emawayish Shiferaw
Melbourne, Australia
14 September 2024
