Hands-ontraining

Chinese teachers pass on advanced agricultural technologies to Ethiopia through practical demonstrations

This year, we have nine Chinese teachers in our college. They have been teaching specific and different skills in several disciplines. They have the capacity to transfer agricultural technologies through practical demonstrations.

After watching a steady stream of chinese instructors visit his college to share advanced agricultural technology and teaching methods, Tamirat Tesema Senbeta was keen to witness firsthand how these instructors operate in their own country.

Tamirat, Dean of the Agarfa Agricultural Technical Vocational and Educational Training (ATVET) College in Ethiopia, got the opportunity this April as part of a 10-person delegation of Ethiopian ATVET deans and state agricultural officials, invited to attend a training program organized by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture.

During the 12-day program, the visitors learned about agricultural development in China, and traveled to Beijing, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Sichuan Province to learn about Chinese curriculum design and college management. They also visited the farm of China Mengniu Dairy Co. Ltd., one of China’s leading dairy producers, as well as Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project built in ancient China.

To date, 90 Ethiopian ATVET deans and agricultural officials have attended similar training programs in China. “We hope the training program will share some of China’s agricultural vocational education experience with our Ethiopian counterparts,” said Lin Huifang, Deputy Director of the Center of International Cooperation Service, Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). China-ethiopia ATVET program. His efforts to introduce practical training in class were lauded by both the students and college administrators.

He is just one of the many Chinese agricultural experts in the program who are dedicated to making creative contributions in Ethiopian vocational schools.

After signing an agreement in 2001, China sent the first batch of 10 Chinese teachers to Ethiopia the same year. Since then, 425 Chinese teachers like Hu have gone to Ethiopia to provide guidance and training to around 2,100 Ethiopian teachers, over 13,000 agricultural technicians and more than 39,000 students.

“This year, we have nine Chinese teachers in our college. They have been teaching specific and different skills in several disciplines,” Kebede Beyecha Gemechu, Dean of the Alage ATVET College told Chinafrica. “They have the capacity to transfer agricultural technologies through practical demonstrations.”

According to the teaching plan of Ethiopia’s ATVET colleges, practical training should account for 70 percent of the curriculum. “But in reality, we have more theoretical lessons than practical ones, so we should learn from China’s experience to include a more practical curriculum,” said Kebede Atsebi Bizani, Training and Advisory Director of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture.

“Currently, there are 20 Chinese teachers working in Ethiopia. We hope they can give both practical training and theoretical lectures for our teachers and students,” he added.