Addis Ababa, May 20(ENA)-- Improving the leadership, governance and management of the higher education system in Ethiopia will be instrumental to alleviating multi-faceted problems in the country, says deputy minister of education Dr. Teshome Yizengaw.

Speaking at the opening here on Thursday of a consultative meeting on the Higher Education System Overhaul (HESO), Dr. Teshome said corrective measures should be taken to improve loopholes in the management system of higher learning institutions.

Dr. Teshome said, "With the expanding higher education sector in Ethiopia, the promulgation of the Higher Education Proclamation almost a year ago, the increasing demand for cost effective, relevant, quality and more critically student centered education and training, it has become extremely necessary and urgent that we clearly identify our challenges and problems, outline priority actions to mitigate those and implement the same with courage, open mind, vision and commitment."

The study has been conducted to create transparent management and to enable professionals to efficiently discharge their responsibilities, he said.

Efforts will be made as of next year to improve the management system after the study is enriched by officials drawn from higher institutions of learning, he said.

The question of how to create accountability in the field is one of the focal areas of the study, Dr. Abebe Hailegebriel who is member of the study team said.

The study further touches on ways of building the execution capacity and improving education quality, he said.

The study also incorporates ideas for cost saving operations and the integration of HIV/AIDS issues in the educational system, he said.

The study team comprises local and expatriate professionals. Officials drawn from the Ministry as well as governmental and private higher learning institutions at the meeting.

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