Notwithstanding the dramatic admission of the historical injustice against females in the Ethiopian constitution three decades back and the education policy that reflected the enthusiasm to address gender inequality, in practice, it failed to create a fairly inclusive higher education environment that is friendly to women. The aim of this study is…

In Ethiopia, women's access to higher education is a priority for many higher education leaders. Moreover, education access and participation are often measured quantitatively through enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. Often overlooked, however, are qualitative outcomes related to gender. To address this gap in the literature, we explore…

In this mixed-methods approach with a convergent questionnaire variant design study, the role of gender on access, participation, and successful higher education outcomes among women and men in Ethiopia was examined. The study sought to answer the central research question of whether gender plays any role in the higher education access,…

With a view to identifying inclusive policies and good practices to respond to the many challenges that refugee students face to access higher education in their host country, this Policy Paper has conducted a review of available statistical data and literature. In addition, six selected countries with considerable refugee populations have been…

For refugees, education provides life-changing opportunities, including tools for effective social integration. This study explores higher education (HE) participation among refugee-background African youth in Australia. Drawing on policy review, national HE statistics and population census data, and using theoretical insights from critical…

Globally, access to higher education has increased, but inequalities by socio-economic background remain. This article explores the relationship between early schooling opportunities (and learning) and progression into higher education in four low and middle-income countries. We analyse data from the Young Lives longitudinal study, following…

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant disruption to teaching and learning activities at all levels. Faculty, students, institutions, and parents have had to rapidly adapt and adopt measures to make the best use of available resources, tools and teaching strategies. While much of the online teaching pedagogies have…

Over the last few decades, the active promotion of or government acquiescence in a surge of private higher education (PHE) has become a common phenomenon globally. This study examines the specific contributions and pitfalls of private higher education institutions (PHEIs) using questionnaires, interviews and documentary analysis as data gathering…

The right of persons with disabilities for equal access to education and educational resources is enshrined by international and country-specific anti-discrimination laws. Taking the Ethiopian context as an example, this paper sought to identify barriers of access to educational resources and explored ways for removing them. Seventeen students…

Gendered cultural ideologies limit access to education for girls in Ethiopia. Practices like child marriage, a disproportionate work burden for girls, early pregnancy, and social isolation, inhibit the participation of female students in education. This qualitative study analyzes the influence of Girl Effect (a branding agency supported by…

The revitalization of Ethiopian higher education (HE) has been underway since the early 2000s. As well as the economic optimism evident in the "knowledge-driven poverty reduction" discourse, social equity goals underscore the reform and expansion of the system. Notwithstanding the widening participation and the equity policy provisions…

Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa, has embarked on an aggressive mission to expand higher education opportunities for its populace during the past two decades. However, associated with this aggressive approach to increasing higher education opportunities is the dilemma that educational planners face of improving the quality of…

Ensuring gender equality in higher education system is high on the agenda worldwide particularly in science disciplines. This study explores the problems and prospects of gender equality in public higher education institutions of Ethiopia, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Descriptive survey and analytical research…

"The Wiley International Handbook of Educational Foundations" features international scholars uniquely qualified to examine issues specific to their regions of the world. The Handbook provides readers with an alternative to the traditional texts in the foundations of education by taking aim at the status quo, and by offering frameworks…

Under the influence of the external policy pressure of donors such as the World Bank, higher education in Ethiopia has witnessed a series of institutional and system-wide reforms. This article reviews selected policy documents to show key neo-liberal policy agendas endorsed in the reforms and explicate how they have affected social equity in the…