The construction of the first school building got under way in 1986, shortly after SELAM took in its first children. Today, SELAM operates a kindergarten, two primary schools (grades 1 to 8) and one secondary school (grade 9 to 12), as well as offering evening classes.
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education
Kindergarten
Children between the ages of 4 and 6 can visit the SELAM kindergarten. There are two kindergarten grades, as children are still developing rapidly at this age. Here, the children first learn about numbers and letters through play. Particular emphasis is placed on story-telling, role-playing, creative projects and exercise. Classes are taught in the national language, Amharic.
The children can attend the kindergarten five days a week for approx. 30 weeks a year.
Primary school
At SELAM, there are two primary schools for grades 1 to 8. In the first level (years 1 to 4), subjects including English, Maths, Amharic, Environmental Sciences and Sport are taught. In the second level (grades 5 to 6), the curriculum is expanded to include Civics, Geography, Art and Music. In the third level (grades 7 to 8), the children also learn Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Sociology. National exams are sat at the end of grade 8, which the children must pass in order to attend secondary school.
Secondary school
The SELAM secondary school is structured into two levels The Junior Secondary School is for grades 9 and 10. After this, the final two school years begin at the preparatory school. At the end of year 12, the students sit national exams again (Ethiopian General School Leaving Certificate Examination). Their point score determines whether graduates can attend a state university, a private university or vocational training college.
In 2019, 144 SELAM school students sat exams. Of these, 85% achieved sufficient points to attend state or private university. The remaining 15% achieved sufficient points to complete vocational training at the SELAM vocational training centre. In the event that students do not achieve enough points to attend one of the above-named tertiary educational institutions, they have the opportunity to complete a short-term apprenticeship with SELAM.
Evening classes
Since 2019, the SELAM school has also been offering evening classes for adults, with the aim of closing educational gaps. This benefits not just the adult learners but also our school, as the classes generate additional income. During the first year they were offered, the evening classes were attended by no fewer than 505 people.
