An overview of curriculum development in the different periods of Ethiopia: 1908-2005

Abstract

The history of Education including curriculum development in Ethiopia is a vast area that has not been studied thoroughly. The objective of this article is to overview the practices of elementary and secondary schools curriculum development in the different periods. The main sources for this study are literature as well as personal experiences of the author. Qualitative method, particularly historical research, is employed. The understanding and practice of curriculum development i.e. curriculum planning, tryout, implementation and evaluation or quality control has varied throughout the history of Ethiopian education. Curriculum employed in each period was essentially foreign dominated. Utilizing evaluation and research findings was minimal. Public and professional engagement in curriculum development is little or non-existent. As an overview of these problems, this article has a corrective purpose.