Ethiopian Universities

One thing I appreciate about Ethiopia is that even the poorest child can become a doctor here. The universities are not free anymore, but students attend without paying until they get a job after graduation. It is called cost sharing. This is amazing to me because I have not been in any developing countries where this would ever happen. In order to continue one's studies, one has to have money. At least in Kenya, Mexico, and other places I have lived or visited. This policy means that many of the students are from the countryside.  Going to university is a big step for them, coming from their small farms without access to computers, television, newspapers, or even electricity. These young adults are shy and tend to be quiet in the classroom. Wheras in the U.S., I can't keep my students quiet, I have the opposite problem here. Getting the students to talk, ask questions, or make comments in class is like pulling teeth.

Students in the universities are divided into "batches". For example, all first year English students take all the same classes for three years. All fifth year engineering students are together for 5 years. They get to know each other intimately. If the teacher needs to schedule a make up class or can't be in class, he/she just has to call one student in the "batch" and the message will get out to everyone in the group. It is not unusual for an instructor to cancel a class and then hold a make-up class in the afternoon of that day or on a Sunday morning. Most students in ethiopia do not have jobs like in the U.S., so it is no big deal for them to attend classes whenever the instructor reschedules them.

Students are students everywhere. For most, it is the first time that they have been out of the watchful eyes of their families. Some find romance and spend time in the bars drinking or chewing chat. But most students are serious and focus on their studies. They are dependent on their families to send money for personal needs. The majority of students here do not have money to burn. Some receive nothing in their 3-5 years of university and have to depend on friends to help them buy soap, printing of handouts, an occasional cup of tea or a glass of beer.