Ethiopia crises force millions out of school

From ADANE BIKILA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,

ADDIS ABABA, (CAJ News) – MILLIONS of children are out of school in Ethiopia as the East African country endures successive natural disasters and conflict.According to the Education Management Information System (EMIS) of ministry of education, the number of children and teachers affected by the crises increased from 2,1 million in December 2015 to 4 million in June 2016.

However, the number has decreased to about 3 million between November and December 2016 but is still cause for concern.The Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said shortage of water and school feeding had been identified as a major contributor to student absenteeism and dropouts.

Assessment data reveal that about 76 percent of primary schools in nine regions have no water available on school premises and 47 percent of schools are without latrines.“As a result, children’s school attendance is erratic and in some cases children dropout of school entirely due to families migrating in search of water,” said Unicef spokesperson.It is estimated that about 2 million school-age children in hotspots require school feeding in 2016/17 academic year.In many affected areas teachers reported a lack of student attentiveness in the classroom and low attendance rate due to limited provision of school feeding.

The loss of assets and livelihoods due to the drought has also compromised the capacity and purchasing power of parents and care givers to send their children to school.Parents are unable to cover the costs of school uniforms and learning supplies.It is also estimated that about 2 million school-age children need school implements.The UN’s International Office of Migration reported that 147 366 school age children were displaced due to the impact of the current drought, the worst in 30 years, flooding and communal conflicts.

– CAJ News