Inequalities in educational outcomes in Ethiopia: An exploration of gender and regional differences based on the national examinations in grades 10 and 12

Abstract

This dissertation provides a thorough discussion of the results from three different empirical studies on inequalities in educational outcomes and equity policy in Ethiopia. Specifically, the studies focus on gender and regional disparities and on how policy measures and educational opportunity impact equity in educational access, enrolment and attainment in Ethiopia. In gender-region analyses, large regional differences were found in academic achievement and disparity of gender gap. The central regions outperformed all other regions in academic achievement. Nevertheless, not all the emerging regions were underachievers. A large gender gap in general and STEM academic achievement in particular was found even in the central regions, favoring boys. However, this gender gap in achievement was less pronounced in the emerging regions, though girls were highly underrepresented in the schools. Affirmative action was found to enhance admission opportunity and enrollment equity. However, it is suggested that designing and implementing a comprehensive affirmative action strategy that focus on equal outcomes, rather than merely on equal opportunities is more impactful.