EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN DAYE TOWN: AN HISTORICAL SURVEY

ABSTRACT The beginning of modern education in, more specifi Sidama region cally in Daye town dates back to the 1950s. In the post liberation of the country in 1941, the regime of Haile Selassie worked devotedly to the expansion of modern education, and then a number of primary and secondary schools, colleges and Universities were opened throughout the country in general. The historical progression of modern education in this town and its development was the result of much will power individuals and governments that ruled Ethiopia in the past decades. The local and religious leaders of the own Daye, individual officials of the Haile silassie regime, elder individuals of the town dwellers and the wealthy individuals in the society played great roles in the expansion of modern education in the study area. The first government’s primary school was opened in Daye in 1957 and the following years a number of primary and secondary schools as well as very recently vocational school (Technical and vocational training center) were established and began to give educational services to the students in the town and the surrounding areas. Many measures were also taken by the successive governments as well as all other concerned bodies to make education accessible to different sections of the society like adults and Females. Thus, basic education programs, and literacy campaigns were undertaken to literate adults. A high increase in the number of female students to be enrolled in schools has been observed. But still school for students with disabilities is not opened in the town as well as in the zone in general. However, the fact that modern education in Daye town presented great progress during the past decades of its history, there were unquestionable limitations that challenged its supplementary development. From the beginning, the people’s awareness towards the modern education is a big constraint against the introduction of modern education. In the early time the expansion of modern education in the area of the study was highly affected or challenged due to: the conflicts and war, lack of good curriculum designers, dictatorship of the rules and lack of trained teachers. The activities of educational institutions were not enough to expand and develop modern education in Sidama generally, and Daye town in specifically.