Ministry of Education Issues New Career Progression Directive for Teachers

The Ministry of Education has officially released Directive No. 1148/2018 governing the career progression of general education teachers in public schools from pre-primary to secondary levels. Based on General Education Proclamation No. 1368/2017, the directive establishes a seven-tier career ladder ranging from Beginner Teacher to Senior Lead Teacher. Progression requires a minimum of two years for beginners to advance to junior teachers, and three years for each subsequent level. To qualify for promotion, teachers must hold professional licenses, complete required continuous professional development (CPD) hours, and ensure at least 75% of their students achieve a passing mark of 50% or higher, as verified by an independent body. The directive also introduces accelerated career advancement and salary step increases for teachers whose students consistently achieve exceptional scores of 85% to 90% over consecutive years. Implementation will take place twice annually on January 1 and July 1, managed through school-level committees and approved by Woreda Education Offices, with an appeals window of 10 working days.