By Our Reporter,The Nation
Copyright thenationonlineng
Meron Tessaw, a Strategy Consultant and co-founder of Ethio IQ, has harped that deploying business strategy and technology to classrooms can create life-changing educational opportunities and transform learning across Africa.
She disclosed this in a statement recently, stating the need for African education systems to embrace business-like discipline and innovation to achieve scalable impact and lasting student success.
She disclosed that Ethiopia’s educational sector had long battled severe challenges, with national Grade 12 exam failure rates reaching as high as 95 to 97 percent between 2014 and 2016.
This situation, according to Tessaw, created hopelessness for many students and families, as overcrowded classrooms and scarce resources left them without the support needed to succeed.
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“In education, we cannot rely on passion alone. Education is not just a social mission; it is a system that needs strategy, accountability, and innovation to thrive,” Tessaw noted.
“When we apply the same discipline that drives successful businesses to classrooms, we create life-changing opportunities for students.” She added.
The expert explained that her stance is informed by the work of Ethio IQ, an EdTech startup she co-founded, which applies personalized and data-driven learning approaches to support students.
She assertedin her statement that in 2023, the company recorded a 100 percent pass rate among its Grade 12 students, a turnaround that the expert attributes to structured strategy and evidence-based methods.
She said, “The impact of this model has also been recognized beyond Ethiopia. Ethio IQ was recently selected by the Mastercard Foundation and Reach for Change EdTech Fellowship, receiving USD 60,000 in equity-free venture funding to expand its approach nationwide.”
Tessaw, who is also a Strategy Consultant at Bain & Company in Seattle and recipient of the 2023 AAUW International Master’s/First Professional Degree Fellowship, emphasized that her experience in “go-to-market and product strategy” has shaped her vision for education.
“Business and education are not opposing forces; they are complementary. The same strategies that transform corporations can also transform classrooms, and that is the future we are building,” she remarked.
As Ethio IQ expands its services to reach younger students and incorporate local language classes, Tessaw believes its experience demonstrates that with the right mix of strategy, accountability, and innovation, Africa’s education systems can chart a new course and deliver lasting change for learners.
Beyond her work with Ethio IQ, the strategist continues to draw on her global consulting experience and academic recognition to advocate for education reform, making her a leading expert on how business strategy can drive social impact across the continent.