Addis Ababa, September 15, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia has officially opened the 2019 Ethiopian academic year nationwide, with more than 30 million students expected to attend classes and at least 20 million confirmed ready to begin learning from the opening day.
The Ministry of Education said preparations undertaken with regional and city administration education bureaus have enabled millions of students to return to classrooms as the new academic year gets underway.
Dr. Yohannes Wegaso, Chief Executive Officer for Education Programs and Quality Improvement at the Ministry of Education, told Fana Media Corporation that the remaining schools are expected to begin instruction in the coming days as identified gaps are addressed and the necessary measures are taken.
The scale of the new school year underscores the enormous role of education in Ethiopia’s effort to expand human capital and prepare a growing young population with the knowledge and skills needed for the country’s next phase of development.
Dr. Yohannes stressed that the responsibility extends beyond bringing school-age children into classrooms. Ensuring that students remain in school, continue learning and acquire meaningful skills requires the sustained participation of families, communities, schools and other stakeholders.
The country has also mobilized substantial resources to expand the physical capacity of its education system. More than 146 billion birr worth of resources have been mobilized over the past three years through the Education for Generation movement, contributing to the construction of new schools and additional classrooms.
The investment reflects growing community participation in expanding educational opportunities and strengthening the infrastructure needed to accommodate rising enrolment.
Alongside access and infrastructure, school nutrition remains another component of the effort to keep children in education. About 8.9 million students benefited from school feeding programmes last year, and the Ministry said it plans to expand the reach of the programme during the new academic year.
The opening of the 2019 academic year therefore comes with two parallel demands: bringing more children into school and creating the conditions for them to stay, learn and develop the capabilities that will shape Ethiopia’s future.
With more than 30 million students expected to pass through the education system during the year, the classroom once again becomes one of the country’s largest spaces for building the next generation.