Parents' perspectives of schooling following the 2020-2022 Civil War in Tigray, Ethiopia: Insights from urban government schools

Abstract

This study explores parents’ perspectives of schooling in Tigray, Ethiopia, in the aftermath of the Civil War (2020-2022). Hundreds of thousands of Tigrayan civilians died during the war, and educational infrastructure was devastated, with up to 90% of schools receiving varying levels of damage. Schools started to re-open in 2023, but enrolment and attainment have not returned to pre-war levels. Recent research points to a collapse in parental support for children’s schooling in Tigray (Reda et al., 2026a). The present study draws on interviews in two urban primary school communities in the regional capital to explore this phenomenon. Through thematic analysis of interview data, we identify patterns in parents’ experiences and perspectives in the ‘post-war’ era. Five recurrent concerns are identified: conflict-related mental health and economic challenges, ambivalence about schooling, the deteriorating quality of education, and the collapse of school-level structures for parental involvement. Drawing on wider international literature, and findings from this empirical study, we consider prospects and implications for reconstruction of schooling in the region.