Seven Special Secondary Boarding Schools Readied in Oromia for Inauguration

Oromia Regional Government with its unprecedented decision to respond to public demand for quality education and school infrastructure standards has allocated over 5.5 billion Birr from its 2020/21 fiscal year. The budget was channeled for 100 Ifa Boru secondary schools and 7 Ifa Boru Secondary Special Boarding Schools.

What grabs our discernment is the completion and enrolment of students of this huge project with expected quality in one fiscal year. Government construction development enterprises and private construction companies have exerted their at most efforts for the project realization.

Here the case in point is related to the Boarding Schools. As alluded to above, the quest for quality of education has been in the air decades long in Oromia. Oromia Education Bureau responding to the long existent ultimatum had made a calculated survey, which guided the opening of boarding schools as a strategy to make a positive competition among primary schools students, teachers, families and education institutions in general. Since the beginning of the project Oromia Education Bureau started to air the quality, criteria to join and objective of the boarding schools with the aim of crating competition and attention of stake holders mainly primary school communities (students, teachers, families) getting the chance to the boarding schools.

Now the schools, which used the already established Oromia Development Association Boarding School as a minimum benchmark, have enrolled 1, 522 students in grade 9 this academic year. Students’ criteria to join the school is high grade 8 regional examination result, grades 7 to 8 transcript, English and Mathematics to sit for entrance exam. Teacher’s recruitment follows the same pattern: minimum masters degree for the necessary field of study, high university cumulative GPA and minimum of 5 years teaching experience to sit for entrance exam. The teachers and the school leadership have attractive top-ups in addition to their salary.

Facilities in the School

The schools are spread on 16 hectares of land, out of which 2 have been greenery dressed, with well-built gymnasiums, amphitheaters, swimming pools, various out-door games fields, 24 hours internet access, libraries, workshops, animal farms, quality male and female dormitories, cafeterias, some teachers and school leadership residences and what you have.

The schools have the sum of manpower: 245 teachers, 21 leadership, 63 cafeteria workers, 245 support staffs which does not include laborers on animal farm and on greenery.

The schools give additional subjects to prepare the students at a higher level. They have the opportunity for elective international languages study like French, Chinese and Arabic while the medium of instruction except local languages is English. One additional subject entitled ‘Area Study’ is also included.

The schools are on preparation to be publicly inaugurated in the few weeks to come.

Top Achieving Students Recognition Occasion Colorfully Celebrated

Oromia Education Bureau has organized an occasion that recognized and awarded high acheiving students on grade 12 university entrance national examination for the academic year 2020/21 , and citizenship roleplayers contributing to pre-primary school project named 'Bu'ura Boru'. In the project, Bu’ura Boru ( roughly meaning: Tomorrow’s Foundation) school project citizens from all walks of life : investors, community institutions, local NGOs, sector offices, groups and education stake holders eho have contributed were recognized in the presence of President of Oromia Regional State, HE Obbo Shimellis Abdisa.

The event was colorfully celebrated on May 7, 2022 at Galma Abba Geda Hall where the event was live streamed and reported by significant number of media.

The event awarded 226 high acheiving students. Head of the Oromia Education Bureau, HE Dr. Tolla Berisso, in his welcome speech revealed increment of the number of high scoring students of the region in the last six or seven years. According to his speech the only one high acheiving one student back in 2016 has gradually been increasing from 1 to 6, 9,9, 16, 20, 152 and 226 in the consecutive years. Adding he expressed that the acheivements are result of all stakeholders: school teachers, education structures at all levels, students themselves and thier parents. Dr. Tolla also appreciated and hailed high the role of regional government budgeting, follow up and support in all levels.

Out of the over 253 thousand students, the 226  scored 500  and above points from the total 600 points. The higest mark of the region in the academic year is 548 points which is scored by two male students. The highest from the female students is 542 points by Siphan Fita who scored 100% in mathematics.

Recognition Given To Stakeholders Who Contributed to constructing Bu’ura Boru Schools

In the academic year 2021/22, over 3,011 preprimary schools have been readied for teaching-learning activities across Oromia. The regional government declared for  a construction of 3,000 Bu'ura Boru under ' Citizenship Service' campaign. In this campaign citizens, individually and in packs, started 3,377 out of which the 3,011 have been complete for services.

Following the recognition forum, President Shimellis Abdisa, called up on the public to meet the New Education Policy that demands millions of year 4 and 5 children enrollment in preprimary schools that was unpresidented in the schools system. According to the call this vacation  school (break) 6,000 preprimary schools should be constructed under 'Citizenship Service' for the following academic year (2022/23).

The call was hailed by a huge applauds.

Top Scoring Students presented Additional Gifts from Harambee University

 Harambe University on the occasion presented a surprise gift for the highest male and highest female students. There were two males whose scores were 548 each and one female who scored 542 with 100% mathematics.

Owner and CEO of the university, Obbo Feyisa Arersa awarded  the 3 national entrance exam heroes and heroines of Oromia 100,000 ( 300,000 in total) Ethiopian birr in addition to 20,000 birr awarded by Oromia Education Bureau earlier on the same day.

The Harambee University is famous in the country  teaching thousands of students from diploma level up to Master’s Degrees in various disciplines and is significantly contributing trained man power to our region in particular and to the country in general. Besides, Harambee University   has been setting exemplary role in supporting grade 12^th entrance examination top achiever students every year along with Oromia Education Bureau. An investment and contribution in education is tantamount to dedication to enhancement and empowerment of young generation and hence a noble action indeed. Therefore, Oromia Education Bureau applauds and warmly thanks Obbo Feyisa Arersa & Harambe University for the generous gifts to top achiever students of academic year 2020/21. In this same academic year, the contribution, Obbo Fayisa made building one Bu'ura Boru school under the Citizenship Service Campaign and his offer of 5,000 books are great Oromia education development supports.

Top Exam Result Scored in 2020/21 Academic Year

In academic year 2020/21  of the total Oromia Regional National State that took  12^th grade Entrance Examination 226 students scored  500 and above points. Of these top exam results, top achiever students are listed from both gender accordingly. 

Among Male Students.

1. Student Kooket Tesfaye scored- 548
2. Student Hunde Tefara scored -548
3. Student Abdulaziz Zeynu  scored - 547  and

Among Female Students.

1. Student Sifan Fita scored -542
2. Student Hawwi Taso scored- 539
3. Student Loti Yadeta scored - 525                                                                                                                                                                                   

Oromia Regional Government has also depicted its at most determination to change education quality status of the region. In this budget year, the government has allocated finance to build 7 boarding schools in Nedjo, Negelle, Yabello, Haromaya, Bedelle, Ambo and Dodola towns. In addition to this the government has decided the construction of 100 full-fledged high schools across the regio. Site Plans, designs and finance worth about 4 billion birr have already been channeled to realize the aspiration. The Education Quality Circle, introduced into Oromia Education by the bureau head, Dr. Tolla Berisso , has been serving as a glue to link the hard and soft wares of the education system in the region.