English Language Fellow Matthew Jellick wrote an article on education that was published by the Ethiopian Herald last week. The article, “Ethiopian Education through Western Eyes,” outlines Jellick’s impression of the state of education in Ethiopia. He teaches at Ambo University.
“Ethiopia has always had a strong connection with education, and with the directives set forth as the country moves towards the future, this relationship will continue to flourish. I am honored to be a part of the growth taking place, and as a foreign teacher, a testament to the commitment which the government has towards achieving academic goals,” Jellick wrote in the article.
Jellick uses the article to list some of the obstacles and possible solutions facing education in Ethiopia. He describes a discrepancy between the way women and men are treated in the classroom and ways to remedy this. With the support of his university, he successfully completed a proposal to launch a Freshman Women’s English Seminar to address some of these gender issues.
He praises the improvements he sees in media literacy among Ethiopian educators and students. “With the advances in technology, Ethiopia has the option to write its own narrative, sharing it with the entire world, not just with the local community.”
This is not the first time Jellick has been featured in a foreign newspaper. “I began writing to local newspapers when I was teaching in Korea, using it as a means of expressing my thoughts on the educational and cultural dynamics which were affecting me and my students,” Jellick said. “I use the articles as a teaching tool as well, encouraging students (and other teachers) to get their words in print, regardless of the medium.”
You can read the rest of the article as a Word document here: Ethiopian Education through Western Eyes.