Posted by Dr. Ravinder Rena, Asmara Commercial College on Aug 17, 2003, 15:35


Introduction:

Education plays a dominant role as an effective instrument for large scale achievement and revolution in all spheres. Purposeful education enables the individual to understand and study the real life situation and to develop an opportunity for creating confidence in the minds of younger generation, and provide a strong base for rational and value-oriented and nation-building progress. Technical and vocational courses in higher education play a significant role in this context. Therefore, a close introspection of the trend of technical and vocational courses in higher education is essential, not only for making them attractive, but also in shaping them to be economically and socially relevant in Eritrea. Two highly commendable features, industriousness and steadfastness characterize the people of Eritrea. The Government is investing heavily on human resources development in the conviction that among its best resources are its people. Obviously, the courses in technical and vocational education are considered as utility-oriented subjects, however they involve heavy cost to the national exchequer of Eritrea.

Education is a lifelong process. What a student obtains from the school and college is only a small part of the education that needs for the economic and social life of human being. Hence, both in the case of man who is determined to reach the summit, and the man who wants to make a complete success of his life as well as business. However, additional education is imperative to develop the special skills. Therefore, education must be constant and continuous program.

Twentieth century has witnessed the miracles of Human Resource Development (HRD) activities reflected through increase in GNP and overall productive activities in industrially developed countries. In Eritrea, having understood these phenomena, efforts have been intensified to accelerate the development process through different forward-looking activities including various human resource developments. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has been playing very prominent role in re-building the economy through successful implementation of HRD plans depends substantially upon relevant policies and practices of other developed and developing countries apart from it own internal policies and constraints. The noble achievement of this kind has been witnessed through the present educational programs and reforms in the country. The MoE has its own frame work for the operation offering both formal and informal training programmes of different level notably the human resource development programs which are already in the nation’s educational stream of performing and accomplishing its own sacred duty.

HRD in Eritrea:

Before the independence of Eritrea, the Derg regime had systematically dismantled the education infrastructure and corrupted the system consequently degraded the education standard to one of the lowest even by African standard. The lack of regular maintenance of the infrastructure also meant that all institution buildings were in a state of disrepair. Hence, the government is embarking to introduce a new education system that is firm and fair as well as flexible and of the highest standard.

Starting from a scratch Eritrea still has its own favorable climate of producing a better human resource through the private-led market economy, which has been incepted since 1994. The Government of Eritrea (GOE) has a strong, clear conviction that the key to rapid and sustainable long-term economic development rests with the development of human resources. The government emphasized the pivotal role of human resources in the development of Eritrean economy in the Macro-Policy Document (GSE-1994).

It has acted as stimuli for rebuilding and re-surrecting the overall nation’s infrastructure and other facilities from the clutches of devastated and war ravaged economy and successive hostile colonial rule as well. Amidst severe fighting for freedom, the EPLF had trained its members in different technical fields under apprentice program. It is a clear indication that the GoE had has developed such a tendency to cater and by which the available human resource could be moulded up to take up the struggling economy into the fruits of 21st century.

It is apparent that the important asset of any nation is its human resources, the effective utilization of which is the crucial factor in determining the growth and prosperity of the economy of the nation. Secondly, the skill and talent of the individuals decide the optimal utility. Realizing the human factor in the national economy, the GoE has geared up all the possible ways to heighten up the revel of required skilled employee for its thirsty economy. The immediate output which Eritrea bring forth through its visualization is found and experimented with the answer of planning and implementing clear cut and fast targeted HRD policies to ensure the optimization of available resources and developing them for the future challenges. This perhaps would mean Formal and Informal Education, Technical and Vocational training, Industry-Institution linkage and inter-changeability of faculty etc. and these will have to be implemented to cope up with the fast changing social, economic and technical advancement. It is observed that, most of the HRD programs of MOE are being systematically and successfully carried out by the concerned institutions i.e. University of Asmara and Department of Technical Education and Vocational Training (DTEVT), which have been playing predominant role in the human resource development of Eritrea.

University of Asmara:

Since independence, the University of Asmara has been consistently raising the education standard and successfully introduced several new courses. In an effort to raise the educational standard to that of the international level and enable the university to introduce new courses, the GoE has spent millions of dollars and successfully recruited competent and fully qualified professors of Eritrean nationality and others from all over the world.

At present the University of Asmara offers various diploma and degree courses including Sciences, Arts and Language Studies, Business and Economics, Agriculture and Aquatic Sciences, Engineering, Education and Law. Preparations are also underway to introduce a new medical school and a diploma course in Communications and Marine Engineering. Additionally, postgraduate courses in Literature, Agriculture, Business and Economics, Sciences and General Science will be offered beginning the academic year 2004.

The university at present can accommodate more than 2000 full -time degree students and about 700 evening diploma students. In the last 12 years of independence, it is to be noted that 7,438 students have graduated in various degree and diploma courses. In the 33rd Batch of Graduation, this year, 776 students graduated with degrees and 207 with diplomas in various courses.

In an effort to reduce overcrowding and enable the University of Asmara to introduce new courses, the GOE has spent 12 million Nfa in building a new campus at Halhale in Zoba Debub. This new campus at Halhale can accommodate 1,000 students and is currently offering up to seven different diplomas and nine certificate courses.

Asmara Commercial College:

Asmara Commercial College (ACC) under MoE, which is the only institute offers higher educational (advanced diploma) programs after the University of Asmara, was established in 1996. Although still based at Red Sea Secondary School Campus, this college offers various diploma courses including Economics, Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Management, Secretarial Science & Office Management to both regular and evening students. Since its establishment, 5 batches of students were graduated. This year, 206 students graduated with diplomas in various courses.

It is observed that the students who had completed their diploma from ACC are eagerly waiting to continue degree program in University of Asmara. Most of these students have the diligent idea that not “Diploma but Degree”. However, those who wish to continue the degree program must repeat Matriculation exam and get the required Grade Point Average (GPA). Many students felt that it is of wasting their precious time learning 2-3 years in the ACC and again learning for 4-5 years in the University. It is observed that some of the old batch students have attempted to bridge the gap between ACC and University, however, nothing so far materialized. On the contrary, every year the students dismissed from the University are sent to ACC. This matter needs to be adequately addressed and professionally reformed to one that is fair and flexible as well as one, which strives to raise and maintain an acceptable education standard. Hence, as part of the human resource development program, the ACC can be updated to a degree level and/or affiliated with University. Thus, MoE and University concerned officials can pay a thought and resolve the long awaiting problem. Therefore, the officials concerned have to roll out the welcome mat for the ACC graduates who are strongly aspired to continue their higher education.

Department of Technical Education and Vocational Training:

Technical Education and Vocational Training as one of the components of HRD and is strongly believed to be the base for all the improvement process in the Eritrea’s economy. In recent past, the DTEVT has proved itself as a change agent with the guidance of latest plans and policies, which was redefined in March 1997 as per the requirement of the Macro-economic policy of GOE in the TEVT Sector. Its work is said to be tremendous and remarkable by rocketing the number of Technical and Vocational Institutes offering Advanced, Intermediate and Basic level of training programs as Eritrea had only one Technical Institute in 1960’s. At present, there are more than 20 Technical and Vocational Training Institutes including 8 Skill Development centers and 2 on-going projects including Massawa Technical and Commercial School creditworthy for all praises. The Massawa commercial stream will be launched this year.

It is necessary to mention the clear-cut structure and the level of DTEVT for different category of training needs as such being followed in industrialized countries. The basic technical and vocational training level is to offer technical training to those who have completed the primary or junior secondary school and/or those who are not eligible to enter to senior secondary school. The main aim of this program is not to throw even a single person out the National human resource employment frame. The skill development programs fall in this category. The intermediate level comprises of a formal training course devised for those who have successfully managed nine years of schooling. This level has given formal sitting to the students for two years in principle, but depending upon the types of courses, the MoE may decide to extent to three years. At intermediate level, there are 3 institutes including Winna Technical School, situated in Nakfa. Thirdly, the advanced level training programs, the alternative for the University, accommodates students who have completed their Matriculation with more than 2 GPA. In this level, the DTEVT offers technical and commercial stream with well-tailored curricula and teaching methodology. The DTEVT at its level best has been turning out the caliber and well-matched human resource to the needs of the Eritrean Economy through all the possible efforts since 1991. It can be supported by a statistical data of MoE, which reveals the sustainable improvement of DTEVT’s capacity in producing the technical and commercial graduates increased tremendously from 93 in 1991 to 555 in 1997.

During this academic year as many as 724 students are graduated from various schools and colleges under the DTEVT. It is reported that in the commercial stream, Asmara Commercial College produced 206 diploma graduates (both day and extension). In the technical filed, Pavoni Technical Institute produced 22 graduates; Asmara Technical School - 166; Wina Technical School - 86; Maihabar Technical School - 122; and Don Bosco Technical School - 42. Whereas in the filed of agriculture, Hamelmalo Agricultural School and Hagaz Agricultural School produced 54 and 75 graduates respectively. Further, Asmara Teacher Training Institute produced about 525 trained teachers and Asmara School of Music also graduated 26 students. All these graduates are equipped with profound skills and knowledge in various technical and vocational fields and are ready to enter in the ‘world of work’.

Skills Development Program:

No nation can be exempted from the sufferings of illiteracy and unemployment. The degree of suffering may be different but their existence in an economy is unavoidable. Unless a nation knows the ways to manage this ailment in a proper way, it would crop up as a major problem showing up an economy to the external world as a bad example. Having understood these consequences, the DTEVT with the complete green signal of GoE has been making strenuous efforts in embracing the major portion of Eritrea’s human resources like marginalized youth, returnees, ex-combatants, unemployed and unemployable communities.

Skill development programs we can say as the process of converting raw human resource into the usable labor force transmitting the present ailing state into the very healthy one. Skill development programs are the notable achievement of MoE, which successfully operates through different skill development centers all over Eritrea. At present, it records eight offering courses in the discipline of Productive Technology like building technology, wood technology, electrical technology, surveying, machine shop etc., Agriculture, Catering and home science and commerce with the flexible system of admitting students and length of training as well. Once the student has successfully completed, S/he will be given an opportunity to participate in Internship program as a partial fulfillment of their training program. Mai Habar Vocational Training Centre for the Disabled is one amongst the best centers is performing along with other formal technical training programs.

Conclusion:

The nation’s level of creativity, its wealth and the levels of living standards of its people are determined by the breadth and depth of its intellectual assets. The reservoir of these assets relies on the learning capability and creativity of its people. Education, therefore, place the most vital role in developing the nation’s intellectual and creative power. Education is viewed as a strategic toll for development; therefore the content of the educational system is to be reviewed carefully. The education system in Eritrea must be geared up not only at raising the general, social and scientific knowledge of the individual but it must also equip the individual with skills that would enable one to lead a productive sustainable life.

As Human Resource Development Programs concentrate much on the category of major raw human resource to be processed into the work force, no one can deny and underestimate its role in reconstructing the economy. Moreover, it is an inescapable fact that in respect of total manpower dispersion in business organizations whether product or service, the bulk of the personnel are skilled labor force working at operative level. This force is instrumental in transforming raw materials into the products. It is this level at which major share of human resource investment and working capital are consumed. This is the force which produces quality and which ultimately affects the organizational image and the economy of Eritrea. The MoE/DTEVT can accomplish the desired objective through the skill development programs that can build the skilled manpower and the economy of the country. It can be vouched that the skills and knowledge that can and will change the shape of Eritrea’s future.