The Geneses, Problems of Our Education System

In my previous writings, I have raised the issue of our education system in order to unveil the root cause of most of our problems in our systems. It was not meant to undermine the prime minister, the Ethiopian engineers, doctors,nurses, students, .... I think my writing was misunderstood by one of my reader. We all know that Ethiopians are geniuses naturally, not only the very few who goes to the universities who get robbed their inherited wisdom but also the vast majority of our laymen and women who are sustaining Ethiopia's daily needs. In contrary to my reader, I say the root problem of our systems is not under-development or lack of money, but problems of our own mindset.

The education system of Ethiopia existed long before we imported the exotic education system. Our pure indigenous education system was established by our classic hero Kudus Yared, ..., probably even before that. Thanks to those who has given us an inheritance of wisdom which is still equipping our farmers with plow-shares,and other indigenous tools. We must thank to those who are still preserving our indigenous technologies. If things could have gone the way of the secular experts we have now, by now, we would have lost all what what have inherited from our predecessors.

When the problems are objective and visible to the naked eyes, we do not have to collect numerical data, and do numerical analyses to approximate the cause and solution of the problems. We do apply those methodologies when we are dealing with abstract problems. Then we will be obliged to apply those techniques.

If there was anything new I can learn from my reader”s response to my previous writings, I would have been happy to add a knowledge to my arcane. However, my reader did not tell me anything new. Though I am willing to learn from others, I refuse to accept the term under-development or money problem as an excuse and the cause of our problem.

Before we realize, we have actually reached to the bottom of our problem tree. We have a problem at ETC which has taken us to education system. My reader has mentioned the problem of the Ethiopians mindset. According to me, all the problem lies in the mindset of the people. As they say, the attitude is the altitude. Our problem or the problem in the education system in particular is not under-development or lack of money, but we have gone out of our way and adopted the wrong mindset because of our exotic education system.

By the way, the term underdevelopment is a pure colonial term. When the name was given first, it was meant to say non-Europeans who are naturally devoid of wisdom from God. And the colonial time Christians used the term when they were campaigning for the colonial mission. According to the colonial meaning of underdevelopment, it refers to people who are deprived a gift of wisdom from God. It refers to people who are created with zero wisdom, and had to abandon all their ways like language, life style, culture,... and adopt the European way so that they can civilize to the level of the European civilization. According to the European mindset during the colonial time, colonialism was not meant to enslave or to oppress the underdeveloped, but it was meant to teach them the God given European wisdom. Thus I refer my reader to the Malcolm Reagan's book, the deadly sin of

development. Malcolm Reagan, is a UN veteran who worked in Africa for long time and advocates self-reliance. His book is well written both in European and African context. It would be a limelight for those could read it. It has a success story of an Ethiopian and an Indian farmers who surpassed all the secular experts from all the development agencies.

I have spoken to many Ethiopians on things related to our backwardness. Most of them they tell me, there is no money to do this and that. This is really a lame excuse. No human being has been created with money and technology in his hand except in his brain. I therefore I refuse to accept underdevelopment, lack of money,... as a result incomplete instruction tools or facilities. I also refuse to accept the in-feasibility of addressing and solving the problem in time.

As to the the cooperation with western industries, there are many industries looking for people to pay and work. It does not have to be with few selected companies. However, there must be an ingenious way of doing it.

As to the school to school cooperation, I could not remember saying or thinking we have to go to western schools for better schools. I was trying to convey the message that we have to Ethiopianize whatsoever we learn and apply it and practice it.. I also suggested students to be exposed to the cottage industries we have while they are still on campus so that they can develop ideas and practices.

The language problem is a key element which must be addressed, and worked on. I still suggested a new institution, Ethiopian language, indigenous Technology development and research institution be established. I know studying language in Ethiopia is abhorrent due to the poor mindset of Ethiopians as a result of the exotic education system.

In conclusion, my appeal still goes to the honorable prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, to inject new generation Ethiopians with brand new mindset into the education system to achieve his goal of poverty eradication. It would be wise to retire the old boys with their pension so that they do not hamper new ideas.

Gezaee Hailemichael

Jan 14,2007