Africa-Press – Ethiopia. October 13, 2025 1 minute read Addis Abeba – The Ministry of Education has announced that students will begin enrolling in universities of their choice, while institutions that fail to attract students may be reassigned for alternative purposes amid a nationwide decline in enrollment.
Speaking on Friday, 10 October 2025, during a joint forum with public universities under the 2018/2019 academic calendar framework, Minister of Education Professor Berhanu Nega said the government will ensure “proper placement” of students in the coming academic years. “Universities that students do not select can be allocated for other services,” he cautioned, stressing that substantial public funds should not be spent on underutilized institutions.
Professor Berhanu underscored that the previous system of automatically funding universities regardless of student intake will no longer continue. He noted that universities must maintain high-quality teaching and learning systems to meet national standards, adding that those failing to do so may be restructured or downgraded into second-level or affiliated colleges.
The minister first outlined this approach in October 2024 during a discussion organized with the Education and Training Authority to review enrollment procedures. He said ongoing reforms over the past four years, including partnerships with private institutions, aim to strengthen the quality and accountability of higher education.
According to the Ministry, assessments have been conducted to evaluate universities’ performance, and institutions unable to meet required standards “may not continue operating in their current form.” The same evaluation procedures apply to both public and private universities.
The announcement comes amid a steep drop in university enrollment and national exam participation. In the 2025 Grade 12 national exam, 581,905 students sat for the test, of whom only 48,929 — or 8.4 percent — passed. The figure represents a sharp decline compared to 2022, when 896,520 students took the exam, reflecting a broader trend of diminishing student participation.
UNICEF report revealed that more than nine million children across Ethiopia are out of school due to conflict, displacement, and natural disasters. It added that over 6,000 schools remain closed, while more than 10,000 have been damaged or destroyed. The highest numbers of out-of-school children were reported in the Amhara (4.4 million), Oromia (3.2 million), and Tigray (1.2 million) regions. AS
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