Background of Tsinseta high School
The Catholic Church in the Diocese of Adigrat (the area that covers the whole Tigray Region and one Zone-locally known by Zone 2-of neighboring Afar Region) pioneered modern education provision in the history of Ethiopia.
The Church started modern Education provision in 1884. Sixty years prior to the first government school opened in Addis Ababa by Emperor Minilik. The school is called Tsinseta Mariam (named after Maculate Conception of St. Mary) was first established at the outskirt of Adigrat City, in a small village where St. Justin De Jacobs resided for some time as a first Catholic missionary that introduced the faith of the Catholic Church in Tigray Region. During its early years of operation the school provided modern Education such as Mathematics, Geography and the language of Latin and French for students admitted from various faiths coming from Tigray and other regions in the hinterland of the then Ethiopia.
The school kept its educational services up to present, sometimes facing interruptions due to religious persecution and stigmatization of the Catholic faith and the services she provided, mainly education in the past. Though it was challenging, gradually the people had got to appreciate educational services of the Church, thus, cultivating the confidence they have had to the Tsinseta School. While running the first school in operation in Adigrat, the Church two years after opening the Tsinseta school, established a sister school in Alitena, Irob District, where St. Jacob was granted to cultivate the new faith in the area with no hostility. The locals in today’s Irob district, in fact, bestowed the Missionary warm reception, thus, the Catholic faith and the services of the Church for the communities continued to flourish. With regard to education, the Catholic Church remained the main provider of education services for many years in several places in the Diocese, and it is so at present next to the government, for she runs 51 schools, kindergarten to college levels, including the Tsinseta School this project considers.
Tsinseta School for many years was housed within the compound of the Catholic Church in Adigrat. There it received elementary school children from all backgrounds-all religious denominations--and the high school component of it was limited to the seminary school students, who attended their education on a boarding accommodation. The local communities in Adigrat requested the Church to expand the Tsinseta School. In response the Church constructed new Tsinseta School building (G+3) situated outside the Church compound. The building was completed in 2005, admitting students from Grade 9 to Grade 10. Annually the school caters about 1600 students. Specifically during the 2019/2020 school year—the year the Covid disrupted education—1629 students were enrolled at it. These students came from all religious background, mainly from Adigrat, but including those coming to Adigrat town from rural areas throughout the eastern Tigray.
The Tsinseta School is the only school that had been able to cover its operational expenses from monthly school fees it collects from the students it services, but, for some it provided free education as well. Out of the 1629 students enrolled last year, 280 students from poor family backgrounds were granted free education; the remaining were paying 450 birr/month during the schooling months of September to June. Since the school is not for profit making the parents preferred the Tsinseta for the children. But, it was not on the ground of lower payment is they preferred it. It is the only school that provides moral education, applicable and acceptable for students of all religious background that it stands preferable. Besides, it provided relatively better quality education—the follow up, recruitment of well qualified staff and the good physical school facilities.
Having stayed in operation for many years since its establishment in 1844 the contribution of Tsinseta School in producing qualified human resources for Ethiopia is enormous. Its services are still relevant, and the communities and the Church want to preserve the Tsinseta School at present and for years to come.
