Ethiopia: Nearly Half of Tigray’s Children Remain Out of School As War’s Impact Persists
Mekelle — Nearly 1.2 million children, 46% of Tigray’s school-age population, are out of school this academic year, the regional Bureau of Education said, citing the incomplete implementation of the Pretoria peace deal and the war’s lasting social and economic toll.
According to the Bureau, 2.53 million students were expected to enroll across Tigray, but only 1.36 million have registered, leaving more than a million out of school.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Bureau Head Kiros Guesh (PhD) said the problem is most acute in areas still affected by unresolved security and displacement issues. “We have 220 schools that have stopped teaching just in Western Tigray. We also have IDPs inside Tigray who are out of school and refugees in Sudan. The fact that the Pretoria agreement is not fully implemented is the key problem,” he stated.
Kiros further noted that post-war social and economic hardships are compounding the crisis. Many children, he said, are pushed into migration, early marriage, or labor, including mining, instead of education. “The schools themselves are not comfortable. We have not created conducive conditions, and many schools have been repurposed into IDP camps,” he added.
The Bureau also reported that the conflict cost the region nearly 30% of its teachers–about 14,000 in total–while those who remain continue to struggle under psychological and economic strain. “Academic potential has been compromised, and the teaching environment is not conducive. We have been working to improve this situation and will continue to do so in this academic year,” Kiros said.
In a statement shared with Addis Standard, the Tselemti Development Association revealed that schools in three districts of Tselemti, home to more than 250,000 people, have remained closed for six consecutive years since 2020 due to COVID-19 and the subsequent war. According to the association, prior to the conflict, more than 56,000 students were enrolled across 79 schools in the districts.
The association blamed political tensions and what it described as a lack of government commitment, even after the Pretoria Agreement, for keeping schools shut. “Failure to uphold these commitments, whether through negligence or deliberate obstruction, constitutes not only a legal violation but also a moral injustice. The future of generations cannot and must not be subject to political bargaining,” the statement reads.
Addressing the education disruption in Tselemti, Bureau Head Kiros said his office is prepared to resume education. “We have always been ready, but there are obstacles. Last week, we held discussions with school principals as well as zonal and district leadership, and we are now moving into action,” he noted.
The association, however, disputed any tangible progress. “To date, neither the federal nor the state government has taken meaningful steps to reopen schools for the academic year,” it said, urging national and international human rights institutions, media, and development actors to stand with the children of Tselemti and press authorities to ensure that schools reopen in 2025/26.
According to a report by UNICEF, more than nine million children in Ethiopia are out of school due to conflict, violence, natural disasters, and displacement, with over 6,000 schools still closed. The report also revealed that more than 10,000 schools, 18% of the national total, have been damaged by conflict and climate shocks, further reducing access to safe and functional learning spaces.
The highest numbers of out-of-school children are in Amhara (4.4 million), Oromia (3.2 million), and Tigray (1.2 million), the report noted.
By Addis Standard.
