Amhara Civil Society Council Warns Regional Schools Unprepared to Accommodate Millions of Children

The Amhara Region Civil Society Organizations Council (ARCSOC), representing over 400 civil society organizations, issued an official statement regarding the dire state of education in the region. Due to ongoing conflicts over the past three years, millions of children have been displaced from school, severely affecting their academic growth and future prospects. In the 2018 E.C. academic year, out of 7.4 million school-age children in the region, only 4.3 million were enrolled, leaving nearly 3.1 million out of school. Thousands of schools have been rendered non-functional, with hundreds converted into military camps or IDP shelters, while others were destroyed or stripped of teaching materials. Although recent efforts have cleared most schools from military use and registration for the 2019 E.C. academic year is progressing, ARCSOC stated that most facilities remain physically unprepared to accommodate returning students. The council urged all conflicting parties to ensure schools, teachers, and students remain free from political and military agendas, proposing an independent monitoring body composed of elders, religious leaders, parents, and local CSOs to oversee school safety.