Ethiopia’s Amhara Region is grappling with a growing education emergency after more than 1,000 teachers resigned during the current 2025/26 academic year, with a significant number believed to have left the country in search of better opportunities in Arab states.
According to a report originally published by Addis Standard, approximately 1,020 teacher resignations were recorded across three zones, South Wollo, North Wollo, and the Oromo Nationality Zone. Education officials and teachers themselves point to economic hardship as the primary driver, with many citing wages that have failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living.
In North Wollo alone, 247 teachers stepped down during the reporting period. In the Oromo Nationality Zone, the head of the Education Department confirmed that roughly 400 teachers had resigned, a figure that surpassed projections made at the start of the academic year. Districts including Kobo, Habru, Bati, Saint, Wagdi, and Albko have been among the most affected.
Local educators describe a visible trend of colleagues departing for the Arab world. One teacher noted that multiple co-workers, both men and women, had already made the move, reflecting a broader pattern of labor migration that was previously uncommon in some of these districts but is now becoming increasingly normalized.
Officials at the zonal level acknowledged that while some teachers formally leave to pursue further education or relocate to the capital, Addis Abeba, migration abroad has become what one education coordinator described as the “main reason” behind the current wave of departures. However, authorities admitted that formal research to confirm the exact numbers of those leaving the country has not yet been conducted.
The exodus is compounding an already fragile education landscape in Ethiopia. Analysts and international observers have highlighted a deepening learning crisis in the country, with conflict, underfunding, and widespread school closures in Amhara and other regions leaving millions of children without access to education.
The situation raises urgent questions about teacher retention, salary reform, and the long-term sustainability of Ethiopia’s public education system.
Source: Addis Standard (addisstandard.com)
