Leku: A Historical Survey of Education and Educational Institutions from 1945-2018

Abstract v The major aim of the research is to reconstruct the history of education and educational institutions and to fill the historiographical gap of education and educational institutions in the town of Leku in the period 1945-2018.The year 1945 became a land mark because of the opening of princess Tenagneworq primary School in the town of Leku, it covers until 2018. Basic and relevant primary sources, Secondary sources, Archival materials mainly from some schools in the town of Leku, from national archival center in Addis Abeba, Wolde Meskel Memorial center in Addis Abeba and IES library in Addis Abeba University are used as much as possible. In my research qualitative research approach was used. My key informants were selected purposefully by putting into consideration their experience and educational background in relation to education in the town of Leku. The data collected by means of different techniques were carefully used, translated and analyzed qualitatively. Findings, Ras Desta Damtew used the town of Leku as a seat to Sidamo province this became the major event for the beginning of modern education in the town of Leku. Most of the families in the town of Leku usually send their children to St.George church to acquire knowledge irrespective of their religious difference. However, after 1991 with the expansion of private schools, they ceased to send their children to the church as a result the skill of students to read and write before they joined formal school became highly decreased. Different missionaries in the town of Leku were used education as a meanse to have many converts but through time they began to focus only on religious matters, so, nowadays there is no missionary school in the town of Leku.