Eritrean Resilience in Education
By Simon Weldemichael
https://shabait.com/2021/07/07/eritrean ... education/
GENERAL
Jul 7, 2021
The National Education Policy of Eritrea provides a framework for the transformation and reinvigoration of the education system, inorder to respond to the requirements of development. Education in Eritrea is a fundamental human right and a lifelong process by which all individuals, regardless of their ethnic origin, sex and religion, are given opportunities to attain their potential as all rounded citizens. The Government of Eritrea is committed to and meets the ‘
Education for All’ goal, of achieving universal primary education.
The overriding national development objective of Eritrea is the creation of a modern, technologically advanced and internationally competitive economy. The Macro policy states that the key input in the attainment of this objective is the provision of,
broad-based education incorporating the widespread dissemination of skills and languages and the formation of extensive human capital.
The Government has given top priority to the production of high quality human capital that fuels the necessary transformation by mastering and exploiting the available technology and it is investing heavily to ensure universal access to education, that paves the way for the production of the desired human capital. During the past thirty years of independence, Eritrea has been able to build a resilient education system hinged on access and equity. The spread of free education across the country is a vehicle for sustainable development, success in the emerging knowledge economy, socio-economic transformation and the formation of an equitable, just and harmonious society.
The widely distributed and freely delivered education has helped Eritreans of all ages and both genders, to liberate themselves from the chains of ignorance and backwardness. The Eritrean youth are the prime beneficiaries, of such an education policy. They have gained the opportunity to react, to the real situation of the country. Access to education has enabled them to work on equality, liberty and fraternity. The academic and vocational ladders of education have helped Eritrean youth to climb up the mountain of knowledge and then come back to the ground to give service that would fix the challenges, associated with the development of the country.
When Eritrea achieved independence in 1991, access to education was extraordinarily limited. It was clear for the government that the vision of the struggle could not be realized, without making education and training accessible. The government’s strategy is to build a kindergarten in every village, an elementary school at a radius of three kilometers, one middle school at a radius of five kilometers and one secondary school at a radius of ten kilometers.
According to reports of the Ministry of Education (MoE), in 1991, there were a total of 215 educational institutions and one university. Currently, there are 1,147 educational institutions, including ten vocational schools and six colleges, with a total enrollment of over 800 thousand students. The expansion and distribution of schools in the country’s six regions, is impressive. In Zoba Maekel, the number of schools has increased from 44 to 152, in Gash Barka from 50 to 306, in Zoba Anseba from 56 to 153, in Zoba Debub from 31 to 304, in Northern Red Sea from 21 to 172 and in Southern Red Sea from 12 to 54.
Education is a fundamental human right and an enabling right with direct impact on the realization of all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that countries are working to achieve, by 2030. Ensuring equitable access to education is the key to ensuring peace, prosperity and unity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the largest disruption of education systems, in all countries of the world. With the outbreak of coronavirus, governments all over the world have taken unprecedented measures; including the closure of schools, to contain the spread of the virus. In Eritrea, the first positive COVID- 19 case was reported on March 21, 2020 and the government undertook a proactive response to the pandemic. On 26th March 2020, Eritrea announced the first precautionary measures which were then reinforced by a total lockdown that has been drastically implemented since 2nd April, 2020. As part of the restrictive measures all institutions of learning, from kindergarten to colleges, were closed. Like elsewhere in the world, Eritrean students were forced to stay at home to reduce the spread of the virus. The closure of schools was a positive response by the government to protect students from risks of contracting COVID-19, because schools are places where hundreds or thousands of students meet.
Like elsewhere in the world, coronavirus has exerted tremendous challenges over all sectors of the country. Education, is no exception. The lockdown that came into effect in response to COVID-19 did interrupt conventional schooling all over the country, but the Ministry of Education made efforts to maintain learning through the national media outlets.
Overtime, the government has relaxed some of the restrictive measures. In respect to education, the first relaxation occurred with the resumption of 11th and 12th grade classes as well as higher education. Later, after rigorous assessment of the situation, the MoE announced the reopening of schools throughout the country. Schools, from kindergarten to secondary schools, are now closed following the end of the 2020/2021 academic year. Similarly, college students have completed their studies for the academic year and the colleges are preparing to graduate their students who have completed their studies and one-year community service.
The education system, like other institutions, has had to confront the pandemic that impacted the daily operations of the people. The corona virus reminds us that we need to incorporate more resilient and sustainable futures, into our education system. Eritrea is known, for its emphasis on community and public welfare and its investment on health and education. Eritrea’s model of administration, system of education and health have shown its capacity to respond quickly and effectively in times of adversity. When the corona virus is deeply deteriorating the life of the people of our region, Eritrea is still giving proper health care, education and other social services for its people.
Eritrea’s education system has withstood the disruption caused by the corona virus, with minimum cost. The outstanding performance demonstrated at all levels of education, is an evidence of the resilience of Eritrea’s education system. The commendable performance of the educational institutions in face of COVID- 19, is attributed to the high commitment of the government and educators.
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Restoring and Reinforcing the Goodness of Humanity
By Dr. Fikrejesus Amahazion
https://shabait.com/2021/07/07/restorin ... eaPrevails
GENERAL
Jul 7, 2021
Last month, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) reported that financial and material support had been extended to disadvantaged citizens in the country. The report indicates that besides the financial and material assistance by the government, nationals residing inside and in the Diaspora also extended financial and material support to disadvantaged citizens.
Not only was the MLSW’s recent report positive, it was deeply heartwarming. It is always nice to see people coming together, showing generosity, and demonstrating solidarity for one another. When we see examples of generosity and solidarity in action it can only help to restore and reinforce our faith in the goodness of humanity. As well, the recent extension of support is very significant and extremely timely, particularly since a number of individuals and households in the country have been confronted with some challenges in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond these direct observations, the recent report of the MLSW also offers a useful opportunity to take a brief look at the general topics of giving, generosity, and support.
A large body of work exploring various contexts and different settings around the world has shown that people give to others, show generosity, and extend support for a variety of reasons. For instance, some people are motivated to give because they strongly identify with a specific cause that they feel passionate about, while other individuals may be motivated to give as a result of experiencing significant or life-changing events (e.g., undergoing a hardship or suffering a loss of a loved one due to a disease). Still others may be influenced to give because of the fact that people within their social circles are doing it (for instance, when friends or relatives give, we often feel encouraged to do so as well), while morality, faith, and religion are all strong drivers of why people give. Regarding the latter, for many, helping others and giving support is a moral obligation, while giving and offering charity is a fundamental part of many spiritual and religious belief systems.
According to analysts and researchers, many people may be drawn to give by the multiple benefits that they may receive in return.
These benefits include the fact that giving can: improve health and increase longevity; make people feel better about themselves and increase happiness or self-satisfaction; enhance social networks; stimulate empathy and the ability to understand or share the feelings of others; and increase the likelihood that others will give to them in return. Interestingly, a lot of empirical work also shows that there are some individuals who may be driven to give by
guilt over privilege, egoism, beliefs in superiority, or a desire to gain attention (for example, in order to “show off” to others about just how rich they are).
As a final point, it is worth noting that not only are the reasons that drive people to give and extend support to others extremely diverse, individuals who give and offer support can be driven by more than one single reason.
In Eritrea, generosity, giving, and extending support to others are very common and they are deeply rooted in society. One prominent factor is faith and religion. Eritrea is a highly religious country and the nation’s major faiths, particularly Christianity and Islam, call upon their followers to be generous and give help to the less fortunate. (The Christian tradition has considered giving a key religious practice, while for Muslims, giving [“
Zakat”] is one of the five pillars of Islam.)
Furthermore, the country’s various ethno-linguistic groups place social value and deep significance upon the group and community. The latter are regarded, as the basic units and fundamental building blocks of society. From early on, children learn that while communities and groups consist of individuals, there can be no individuals without the broader support, backing, and platform of groups and communities. Additionally, there are an array of social traditions and popular proverbs in Eritrea attesting to the great value and significance society places upon generosity, sharing, giving, and supporting others.
These include, for instance, “
beynu zibelie, beynu yimewut” (roughly translated as: those who eat alone, die alone), “
enka nzeyfelt, haba men almedo” (One who doesn’t know how to give, doesn’t know how to receive) and “
habtam bezey de’ka neyq'ber” (Funeral service for the wealthy, do not take place without the poor). Moreover, every single day, in small villages and communities up and down the country, individuals and groups readily demonstrate their generosity and selflessness. Just last year, representatives of the United Nations Development Program in Eritrea explained how the strong sense and value of community in the country, coupled with generosity and solidarity, played an important role in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
There are numerous other examples. When they come together to support one another in the grieving and mourning of someone who has passed away, Eritreans offer not only sympathy and condolences, but also food, financial support, and other resources to families who have lost a loved one. Similarly, during the celebration of a marriage, graduation, birth, or baptism, neighbors, colleagues, and coworkers offer financial support or give their time and energy to cook food, arrange tents, and prepare areas for celebrations. In urban areas, young people regularly go shopping and deliver groceries for the sick, elderly, or otherwise physically immobile, while in agricultural areas people work cooperatively to meet the needs of everyone in the community: collectively working the fields, planting seeds, and harvesting crops. Neighbors and community members also devote their time and resources, to construct homes or develop community projects.
Along with the motivations outlined above, another one of the key drivers of generosity, giving, and support in Eritrea is the strong sense of duty and obligation. On one level, as humans and neighbors, many regard it as a basic duty and obligation to support one another and help the less fortunate: it is only right and appropriate. However, the sense of duty and obligation also applies to and is particularly evident in the support extended to veterans, contributions to families of those who have fallen, and contributions to the country from nationals living abroad. Over the years, many Eritreans shed blood and gave life or limb, making great sacrifices in order to bring independence and defend the sovereignty of the nation. Thus, it is a special duty and obligation to demonstrate our appreciation, preserve their legacy, and support them or their families in any way.
