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Somali students in Ethiopia struggle as few pass national high school exams

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Tuesday September 16, 2025

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (HOL) — Fewer than 500 students in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State passed the country’s high school exit exam this year, out of more than 22,000 who sat for the test, according to the Ministry of Education. The pass rate of about 2 percent is among the lowest in the country.
The ministry said only 8.4 percent of more than 500,000 candidates nationwide reached the 50 percent threshold to pass. That figure, while one of the highest in recent years, still left more than 90 percent of students behind. By contrast, the Somali Region has recorded consistently poor results over the past several years, illustrating the education gap facing students in Ethiopia’s periphery.

Students in Addis Ababa, Harar and the Amhara region posted the strongest scores, while more than 1,200 schools nationwide saw no student succeed. Fifty schools achieved a 100 percent pass rate.
Education Minister Birhanu Nega acknowledged that the disparities show “a lack of equity” across Ethiopia’s education system. Authorities also reported that 120 students were caught cheating, and their results were cancelled.
For some students in the Somali Region, the results were a rare cause for celebration. Shukri Abdi Mohamed, one of the few who passed, said he scored 395 points, above the 50 percent mark but short of his goal of 600. “In recent years, students from our region have performed very poorly. My family and I are very happy,” he told the BBC.
Shukri described his preparation as gruelling, involving both morning and afternoon study sessions, memorizing four years of lessons, and reviewing material ahead of schedule. “I studied day and night,” he said, recalling the mix of anxiety and hope he felt before the results were announced. He urged fellow Somali students to dedicate more time to learning, noting that those now studying under Ethiopia’s new curriculum are “luckier” than his cohort.
Education advocates warn that without targeted investment, such disparities will persist.
Ethiopia has introduced reforms aimed at raising standards and rewarding high achievers, but educators say lasting progress will require stronger investment in underperforming regions like the Somali State, where opportunities remain scarce and failure rates persistently high.

With files from the BBC Somali Service

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