Ethiopia is launching a training drive in hundreds of secondary schools that produced no graduates in the national grade-12 exams, following results that showed more than nine in ten students failed to qualify for higher education.

Education Minister Birhanu Nega (PhD) said the initiative will begin in October, targeting 700 schools that recorded a zero pass rate in the 2023/24 academic year. In total, 1,249 schools produced no graduates, though ministry data indicate a slight improvement in just over 100 of them.

The programme will focus on teacher training and school management, with financial and technical support from the Mastercard Foundation. The Canada-based organization has committed large-scale funding to expand education access and job opportunities for African youth, including in Ethiopia.

Alongside the school intervention, officials are preparing a new remedial track for students who narrowly missed the national cut-off mark. Unlike last year, entry will be limited, with authorities considering whether up to half of borderline candidates should be admitted. Final thresholds have not been disclosed.