Education, Human Capital and Development in Ethiopia

Historically, education in Ethiopia, as in elsewhere, was in the hands of private and religious institutions. In the beginning of the 20^th century, however, the state began to show interest in secular education and gradually emerged as the most important provider of education in post WWII period. Despite having a long tradition of education and of literate culture, educational outcomes were not at par with African standards or historical antecedents until recent periods. The project aims to capture this long term under achievement by making use of primary sources and understands the causes for it.

This project undertakes a study on educational expansion and inequality in Ethiopia, one of the most populous SSA countries, in which attainment has lagged behind during most of the 20^th century and on which very little empirical work has been executed so far. More specifically, it compiles historical data from Ethiopian National Archives on the location of schools and enrolment patterns for the period 1908-2018 to quantify the expansion of the schooling system; map the inequalities that emerged and persisted and explain the drivers for expansion and inequalities.