October 2025
When students in rural Ethiopia face a critical choice (pass the Grade 8 National Exam or end their education forever), the odds have usually been against them. But this year's results from our partner schools tell a different story.
Best friends sit together for 10 Saturday tutoring sessions.
The Reality of Rural Education in Ethiopia
In the rural Ethiopian schools where we work, overcrowding creates an impossible situation. Students attend school in shifts (either morning or afternoon), getting just 4 hours of instruction daily. Meanwhile, they're trying to master the same national curriculum as students in full-day programs across the country. They're learning the same material in half the time.
For eighth graders, this disadvantage comes to a head with a high-stakes national exam. Pass it, and the door to Grade 9 opens. Fail it, and for many students, formal education ends. In Ethiopia, each additional year of education increases lifetime earning potential by 10%. This single exam determines the path of a young person's life.
All the students in grade 8 are encouraged to spend time in their school's library to prepare for the national exam. This is the school's first library, created by the support of donors like you.
74% Success Rate: Three Years of Results
This year, 74% of students in the Roots Ethiopia tutorial program passed their Grade 8 National Exam. That's 1,600 young people (75% of them girls) who can now continue their education.
This success didn't happen overnight. It's the result of a deliberate, three-year approach focused on extra educational support:
- 2022: 52% pass rate
- 2023: 63% pass rate
- 2024: 74% pass rate
Across all 28 partner schools in our school improvement projects, pass rates climbed from 58% three years ago to this year's 74%. Targeted educational support can create real change even in places with very few resources.
What Makes Tutorial Programs Work?
The program's structure addresses the specific challenges rural students face. Every Saturday for 10 weeks before the national exam, students commit to more than 4 hours of focused instruction. These sessions:
- Provide personalized attention to fill the gaps
- Build confidence and test-taking skills
- Create peer learning communities
At four schools (Merkato, Amacho, Shamoboyo, and Gomora Gewada), 100% of tutorial participants passed the exam. Students facing the toughest obstacles can succeed. This is the kind of can-do spirit that drives success for kids, schools, and families.
Worknesh and her teacher, who tutors on Saturdays. She's going to get good news soon!
These results prove what's possible when students get the support they need. In our next post, you'll meet Worknesh, one of the 1,600 students whose life changed this year.
