Challenges of 20th century Ethiopian Science education

State-led secular education was introduced to Ethiopia by the second half of 1900s. Some studies have looked into the development the secular education system. But the historical development of science education system was not explored. This review looked into the initiatives, achievements, and challenges in introducing and advancing science education in the 20th century. For this purpose, research reports, books, official government documents, and other relevant literature, and instructional materials released before mid 2000 were explored. Accounts of several researchers and official documents demonstrated that the various initiatives by the four subsequent regimes of Ethiopia to build relevant and quality science education system did not come up with expected results. By the dawn of the 21st century, the country was struggling to build relevant and quality science education system. Hence, this article is prepared and presented to demonstrate the critical historical challenges in putting relevant and quality science education system in place and assist policy-makers and practitioners in formulating better policy directions and developing workable science education programs and projects.

Automated summary

This article reviews the initiatives, achievements, and challenges in introducing and advancing science education in Ethiopia during the 20th century. It discusses how the efforts by different regimes did not yield the expected results, leading to ongoing struggles in building a relevant and quality science education system in the country by the dawn of the 21st century. The article aims to highlight historical challenges and provide guidance for policy-makers and practitioners in formulating better policy directions and developing practical science education programs and projects.