Educational policy and INGOs in Ethiopia: contestations and prospects for decolonization

Educational policymaking in Ethiopia is considered to be the designation of government. However, numerous stakeholders play a role in the process; the most prominent are INGOs. This research develops a critical understanding of the role of INGOs in the policymaking process. Findings suggest that within the development context 1) Ethiopia continues to be seen as in need of development; 2) Ethiopian knowledge systems are marginalized as emphasis is placed on Euro-American knowledges; 3) the role of local communities in the decision-making process is a source of conflict; 4) concerns regarding the perceived equality between North and South persist; and 5) historical colonization and recolonization has inculcated among Ethiopians a disassociation from traditional ways of living and knowledges. The findings demonstrate that while INGOs are given space at the policymaking table as the voices of the grassroots, INGOs working in Ethiopia speak not for the grassroots but for a privileged few who constitute the Ethiopian elite.