Disrupted education trajectories: Exploring the effects of Covid‐19 on adolescent learning and priorities for “building back better” education systems in Ethiopia

Motivation The Covid‐19 pandemic delivered an unprecedented shock to education systems globally, with school closures affecting 1.6 billion children. Education systems in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) are facing significant budget cuts further constraining capacities to adapt to Covid‐19 impacts. The need for evidence to inform policy dialogues about how best to mitigate impacts and support education systems to “build back better” is pressing. Purpose In Ethiopia, schools reopened in October 2020 after a seven‐month pandemic‐related closure. Employing an adapted resilience systems analysis framework, this article focuses on the extent to which Ethiopia’s education system—which has in recent decades seen rapid progress in enrolment rates—has adapted to the impacts of the pandemic on adolescents’ education and learning, and has achieved this equitably. Methods and approach The article draws on mixed‐methods data from Ethiopia collected virtually with a pre‐existing cohort of 3,066 adolescents (1,683 girls and 1,383 boys) during the immediate onset of the pandemic (April–June 2020) and following the reopening of schools (November 2020–February 2021). Adolescent perspectives are complemented by 27 key informant interviews at community and district levels. Findings Rural adolescents, girls, and adolescents with disabilities were less likely to access distance education during school closures due to connectivity challenges and discriminatory norms, and to subsequently re‐enrol. Implementation of adaptive measures, including hygiene guidance, smaller class sizes, and catch‐up classes, has been highly uneven, and outreach to support re‐enrolment of socially marginalized adolescents has been very limited. Policy implications For LMICs like Ethiopia to build back better post‐pandemic and stay on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4’s commitment to inclusive and equitable quality education for all, scaled‐up investments in blended learning approaches, addressing the digital divide, and ensuring targeted outreach and social protection to support re‐enrolment of socially marginalized adolescents are critical.