2026 Grade 8 Exam Results in Rural Ethiopia
Every year, 8th graders across Ethiopia sit for a national exam that decides whether they go on to high school. Students who pass have a whole new set of doors open to them. For many kids in rural communities, not passing means school ends there.
This year, at the government primary schools where Roots Ethiopia partners through our School Improvement Program, 96% of 8th graders passed, and our partner schools outperformed nearby schools by about 19 points.
That's a lot worth celebrating. Here's the story behind it.
8th grade tutoring during a young person's free time? For a better future? YES!
What is Saturday Tutorial?
Our Ethiopian team knows exactly what rural 8th graders are up against. Classrooms are packed. There are not enough updated textbooks that came with Ethiopia's new curriculum. And since rural kids attend school for 1/2 day (because of crowding), teachers are doing their very best but with too little time to cover everything in the school year.
So our team asked a practical question: what if students had more time?
That question became Saturday Tutorial, a 10-week exam preparation project for 8th graders attending our partner schools. Today it's one of our most popular projects. Every school wants to be part of the Saturday Tutorial. An it's easy to see why.
How does Saturday Tutorial work?
The design is simple, and that's a big part of why it works.
- 10 Saturdays of extra classes in the weeks before the exam
- 6 teachers per school, from the students' own school, paid a stipend for their extra time
- 5 core subjects: English, Math, General Science, Social Science, and Civics & Ethical Education
- Up to 50 students per school, with girls given priority
- Lots of practice with past exam questions, so exam day feels familiar
- Regular classroom visits from local education officials and our field team to ensure quality education
Focusing on a Civics lesson.
The whole program costs about $9 per student for all ten weeks. That covers teacher stipends, supervision, and monitoring visits. It's one of the best investments in our entire School Improvement Program.
The people who show up
This spring, 162 teachers across 27 schools in the Kembata, Hadiya, Halaba, and Wolaita zones of southern Ethiopia gave up their Saturdays. More than 1,200 students came to class on their day(s) off. Our field staff were out visiting schools the entire time, checking in and helping wherever they could.
They did it during a hard season. Fuel was scarce and prices kept climbing, so getting anywhere took extra effort. All ten Saturdays still happened.
Local education officials were part of it every step of the way. This spring, 25 district supervisors and 8 zone education experts visited Saturday Tutorial classrooms alongside our team. As a registered NGO in Ethiopia, we work hand in hand with local government, and we report our progress to government partners every quarter. We think that's how it should be.
When education officials see the work with their own eyes, everyone can trust that what we say is happening is really happening.
Teachers earn additional income as master teachers, and students learn from people who already know them. Ms. Tizita, an English teacher at Ashira Genesa, told our team:
"This recognition motivates us to continue supporting our students with dedication."
2026 Grade 8 results: now for the good part
Here is what all that work added up to: 1,165 Saturday Tutorial students passed the national exam. Across partner schools, 96% of 8th graders passed, and at ten schools, every single 8th grader passed!
Congratulations to Ajora, Amecho, Bucha, Chamo Hembecho, Fate Gimbichu, Galato, Hawora, Jajura No. 1, Meskel Chora, and Merkato!
And Meskel Chora? For two years in a row, not one 8th grader there passed the exam. This year, all 35 of them did. We are SO proud of that community!
ALL the Meskel Chora 8th graders -- just look at the smiles behind their focus!
How do partner schools compare to nearby schools?
A high pass rate is wonderful. We also wanted to know what it means next to the schools in the same areas.
So this year our field team took on something new, and it was a big lift. They went to nearby schools in the same areas, schools with no Roots Ethiopia support, and gathered their Grade 8 results too. Same region, same exam.
- Nearby schools: 76.8% of 2,608 students passed.
- Partner schools: 96.1% passed.
That's a difference of about 19 points.
Not every pairing went the direction we all hoped. At Gedelo Gewada, 84% of students passed, and a nearby school came in higher, at 92%. Our team is looking into why. It matters.
We also want to be upfront about what this comparison shows. Our partner schools are part of the full School Improvement Program, so these results reflect everything working together. Depending on the school, that means libraries and science labs, updated textbooks, renovated classrooms, and trained teachers. Saturday Tutorial is the last big push before exam day.
Four years of climbing: pass rates from 2023 to 2026
That's a huge climb! Some of it comes from our work, and some reflects changes across Ethiopia's schools that we're still working to understand. Our team is digging into which pieces matter most, so every dollar goes where it does the most good.
Here's what we know for sure: more kids are passing, and more kids can go on to high school.
What students and teachers told us
The numbers are exciting. The students' words are even better.
Mulu, an 8th grader at Dalbo, where every tutorial student passed:
"Before, I was shy to ask questions, but now I feel confident to participate and learn. I feel more prepared for the regional examination."
Bethlehem, an 8th grader at Teza Gerba:
"Step by step, I am starting to feel more confident in my studies and less afraid of challenging subjects."
And Mr. Markos, who teaches Social Science at Ashira Genesa:
"Students who were once hesitant are now more willing to contribute and take responsibility for their learning."
Did you catch it? They all talk about confidence. A student who used to stay quiet is now asking questions. That confidence walks into the exam room with them, and it goes with them to high school.
Girls first
Girls held 59% of the Saturday Tutorial seats this year. Two schools, Fate Gimbichu and Jajura No. 1, decided to run their tutoring sessions for girls only. They made that call themselves, and we love that they did.
- At Fate Gimbichu, all 50 girls passed.
- At Jajura No. 1, all 48 girls who sat the exam passed.
Across all partner schools, 96% of 8th grade girls passed.
Girls first at Teza Gerba School where these girls ROCKED their exams.
The hard parts
We always want to tell you the whole story.
At Usimancho, in West Soro, the spring rains failed and the crops failed with them. Families went hungry, and 13 students who had been coming to Saturday Tutorial left school before exam day. That's heartbreaking.
At one school, only 30% of students passed. Our team has identified some real challenges there, including young people leaving school early to find work, and is looking closely at what the school needs.
What comes next
Right now, more than 1,100 Saturday Tutorial students are starting 9th grade. High school!
We're also getting smarter about how we measure this work. We want to know which students benefit most from tutoring. We want to track actual scores (a student who goes from barely failing to passing is a real win!). And we want a simple way to capture the confidence students keep telling us about.
When a child passes this exam, their family gets to imagine a different future. That's what our tagline is all about: Children Learn. Women Earn. Families Thrive. This year, 1,165 students in Saturday Tutorial made the first part come true.
The students did the hard work. You made the Saturdays possible. Thank you for believing in these students, and in the teachers who showed up for them every single Saturday.
The focus. The effort. The success!
Frequently asked questions
What is the Grade 8 national exam in Ethiopia?
It's the national exam every 8th grader in Ethiopia takes at the end of primary school. Each region administers it, so students and teachers often call it the regional exam. Students who pass are promoted to Grade 9 and continue on to high school.
What is Saturday Tutorial?
Saturday Tutorial is a Roots Ethiopia project that gives 8th graders 10 Saturdays of extra instruction in five core subjects before the national exam. Local teachers lead the sessions, and it's part of our School Improvement Program.
How much does Saturday Tutorial cost per student?
About $9 per student for all 10 Saturdays, covering teacher stipends, supervision, and monitoring.
Who oversees Saturday Tutorial?
Roots Ethiopia's Ethiopian field staff manage the program together with local government. In 2026, 25 district supervisors and 8 zone education experts visited classrooms, and Roots Ethiopia reports progress to government partners every quarter.
Where does Saturday Tutorial take place?
In 2026, Saturday Tutorial ran at 27 rural primary schools in the Kembata, Hadiya, Halaba, and Wolaita zones of southern Ethiopia.
How did Saturday Tutorial students do in 2026?
1,165 tutorial students passed, a 96.8% pass rate among students who sat the exam. Across all 8th graders at the 26 reporting partner schools, 96.1% passed, compared with 76.8% at nearby schools without Roots Ethiopia support.
About the data
Results come from Grade 8 national exam data collected by the Roots Ethiopia field team in 2026. "Passed" means promoted to Grade 9. Figures cover 26 of 27 participating schools (one school's results are pending). Partner schools are government primary schools with a Roots Ethiopia School Improvement Project. Comparison schools are nearby primary schools in the same woredas that receive no Roots Ethiopia support.
About Roots Ethiopia
Roots Ethiopia is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting locally led education and women's economic empowerment in rural southern Ethiopia. Our all-Ethiopian field team leads every program, including School Improvement, SHE (Self-Help Entrepreneurs), and Student Sponsorship.
