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| Haile Selassie I |
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| Selected Speeches |
| The Church of Haile Selassie I, Inc. |
| The Church of Haile Selassie I, Inc. |
| Ba Beta Kristiyan Haile Selassie I |
| ... To be able to say that there are one hundred thousand students, one has to start with one. |
| Tafari Makonnen School - Silver Jubilee Apr. 27, 1950 |
| Selected Speeches |
It is over twenty-five years ago that We had conceived the idea of building
this School, but as everything is bound to be accomplished with man as
initiator and God as executor, it was built in its destined time and formally
opened twenty-five years ago.
On this occasion when We celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Tafari
Makonnen School and recall the struggle We made to overcome the
opposing internal political forces that We encountered at the time when,
having the building completed, We were recruiting teachers and gathering
students in order to get the work started, We thank Our God who helped
Us to achieve Our aim.
Ever since the day We were elected by God to be the leader of Our
beloved Nation, Our wholehearted desire has been to expand education
with which Our people will develop and guarentee their independence, and
since Our accession to the power of leadership, We have put on this cause
Our utmost efforts as much as events permitted. And this school the
Silver Jubilee of which We are celebrating today, has rendered evident Our
desire and effort.
Among those who, in support of Our idea, have helped Us to found this
School, We thank all who are alive and remember those like the late
Blattenguetta Hiruy.
There have been gentlemen and ladies who, sharing Our conviction that
there is no instrument better than education for the development of
Ethiopia and the welfare of Our Nation, helped Us in different ways.
Some of them have doen so by inspiring their children to go to school and
others by contributing financially to this cause, to an extent that proved
their realization of the benefit of education. In this connection, We do not
pass without remembering those, for instance, like the late Dej.
Habtemariam Gabregziabier, who sent to the school twenty-three boys
together with the school fees.
The names of the persons who had shown their goodwill to support Our
idea and expressed the love for education were written at the school hall in
golden letters on the roll of honour which was removed by the enemy, and
has now been renewed and restituted.
The Tafari Makonnen School started working guided by the internal
regulations We had provided to it, with Dr. Workneh as Principal and a
Frenchman called Monsieur Jean Guillion, as Director and concurrently
teacher. Under them, there were both foreign and Ethiopian teachers for
Frence and English languages and the number of students increased from
day to day. ...
this School, but as everything is bound to be accomplished with man as
initiator and God as executor, it was built in its destined time and formally
opened twenty-five years ago.
On this occasion when We celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Tafari
Makonnen School and recall the struggle We made to overcome the
opposing internal political forces that We encountered at the time when,
having the building completed, We were recruiting teachers and gathering
students in order to get the work started, We thank Our God who helped
Us to achieve Our aim.
Ever since the day We were elected by God to be the leader of Our
beloved Nation, Our wholehearted desire has been to expand education
with which Our people will develop and guarentee their independence, and
since Our accession to the power of leadership, We have put on this cause
Our utmost efforts as much as events permitted. And this school the
Silver Jubilee of which We are celebrating today, has rendered evident Our
desire and effort.
Among those who, in support of Our idea, have helped Us to found this
School, We thank all who are alive and remember those like the late
Blattenguetta Hiruy.
There have been gentlemen and ladies who, sharing Our conviction that
there is no instrument better than education for the development of
Ethiopia and the welfare of Our Nation, helped Us in different ways.
Some of them have doen so by inspiring their children to go to school and
others by contributing financially to this cause, to an extent that proved
their realization of the benefit of education. In this connection, We do not
pass without remembering those, for instance, like the late Dej.
Habtemariam Gabregziabier, who sent to the school twenty-three boys
together with the school fees.
The names of the persons who had shown their goodwill to support Our
idea and expressed the love for education were written at the school hall in
golden letters on the roll of honour which was removed by the enemy, and
has now been renewed and restituted.
The Tafari Makonnen School started working guided by the internal
regulations We had provided to it, with Dr. Workneh as Principal and a
Frenchman called Monsieur Jean Guillion, as Director and concurrently
teacher. Under them, there were both foreign and Ethiopian teachers for
Frence and English languages and the number of students increased from
day to day. ...
| Encouraged |
| Haile Selassie the First - April 27, 1950 |
| Other Schools |
To Our Programme aimed at enabling the youth of Ethiopia to be prepared
for the help of their country in different professions acquired by education
and training, We had reinforced the establishment of modern systems
capable of maintaining law and order, as well as of safeguarding the
security of the country, such as the Regular Army, Police and Air Force,
and in general We had done all to have all systems of public education go
hand in hand.
Even though work and time have limited scope to human capacity, We
were convinced that by working with faith, perserverance, firmness and
foresight, it was possible to accomplish much. And Our efforts have been
aided by avoiding arrears of work pending for the coming generations so
that there might emerge a generation up to date with modern civilization to
pursue its current life, and when We were organizing such a peaceful life
for Our Nation, We had secured for it the international guarantee of peace
by joining the League of Nations and signing the Kellog Convention.
But there came an enemy who interrupted Our peaceful work of leading
Ethiopia to a high civilization and by invading Our country, destroyed all
the products of Our work. Had it not been for all the various obstacles
which We encountered and which hindered Our work, it is obvious that
the result of Our inititative for the purpose of having Ethiopia combine her
ancient civilization with the modern world progress would have appeared
much earlier. Nevertheless, We thank God for the kindness We have
never missed.
Although it had, following the invasion of the enemy, fallen sick for some
time, the Tafari Makonnen School which We see today as a young school
of twenty-five years has, in accordance with its age, served a generation
and is therefore, seen with its head upright.
When We inaugrated this school twenty-five years ago, We extolled the
merciful Lord and said : "To be able to say that there are one hundred
thousand students, one has to start with one."
Today in Ethiopia, there are more than 100,000 students. Hence, We feel
very happy at the celebration of the 25th year of Tafari Makonnen School,
where We have expressed Our wishes and see that the mercy of God is
limitless.
We feel deeply sorry when We recall the memory of the youngsters who
were educated at this school and who sacrificed their lives for the sake of
their Emperor and country. When We turn to those who are alive and
rendering valuable service to their country, including those who are
attending this inauguration as well as those who are on duty in distant
places, Our sorrow changes into happiness.
And you, students, should realize that for the benefit of Ethiopia and for
Our Nation, Our most important work at present is the preparation of
educated generations for Ethiopia, and We fervently hope that you will
prove worthy of Our efforts for this purpose. We thank those who have
been supporting Us in this cause and We strongly ask them to continue
their support.
for the help of their country in different professions acquired by education
and training, We had reinforced the establishment of modern systems
capable of maintaining law and order, as well as of safeguarding the
security of the country, such as the Regular Army, Police and Air Force,
and in general We had done all to have all systems of public education go
hand in hand.
Even though work and time have limited scope to human capacity, We
were convinced that by working with faith, perserverance, firmness and
foresight, it was possible to accomplish much. And Our efforts have been
aided by avoiding arrears of work pending for the coming generations so
that there might emerge a generation up to date with modern civilization to
pursue its current life, and when We were organizing such a peaceful life
for Our Nation, We had secured for it the international guarantee of peace
by joining the League of Nations and signing the Kellog Convention.
But there came an enemy who interrupted Our peaceful work of leading
Ethiopia to a high civilization and by invading Our country, destroyed all
the products of Our work. Had it not been for all the various obstacles
which We encountered and which hindered Our work, it is obvious that
the result of Our inititative for the purpose of having Ethiopia combine her
ancient civilization with the modern world progress would have appeared
much earlier. Nevertheless, We thank God for the kindness We have
never missed.
Although it had, following the invasion of the enemy, fallen sick for some
time, the Tafari Makonnen School which We see today as a young school
of twenty-five years has, in accordance with its age, served a generation
and is therefore, seen with its head upright.
When We inaugrated this school twenty-five years ago, We extolled the
merciful Lord and said : "To be able to say that there are one hundred
thousand students, one has to start with one."
Today in Ethiopia, there are more than 100,000 students. Hence, We feel
very happy at the celebration of the 25th year of Tafari Makonnen School,
where We have expressed Our wishes and see that the mercy of God is
limitless.
We feel deeply sorry when We recall the memory of the youngsters who
were educated at this school and who sacrificed their lives for the sake of
their Emperor and country. When We turn to those who are alive and
rendering valuable service to their country, including those who are
attending this inauguration as well as those who are on duty in distant
places, Our sorrow changes into happiness.
And you, students, should realize that for the benefit of Ethiopia and for
Our Nation, Our most important work at present is the preparation of
educated generations for Ethiopia, and We fervently hope that you will
prove worthy of Our efforts for this purpose. We thank those who have
been supporting Us in this cause and We strongly ask them to continue
their support.
After a few years when it was arranged for the pupils of Tafari Makonnen
School to receive examinations sent from schools in Europe, there were
many who passed the examinations and obtained elementary school
certificates. When We were then satisfied with the intelligence of the
Ethiopian pupils and the diligence of the teachers, We were encouraged to
double Our efforts. As We used to see for Ourselves, whenever We
visited the School, their diligence which was resulting in the advancement
of the pupils, We still remember the teachers who were here at that time.
Then We had only these students who proved progressive and diligent in
their studies sent abroad for pursuing their education. Whereas most of
these flowers of youth grown in this School were destroyed by Italy's
massacre, some have been spared by God and are now serving their
country. But when We thought of sending them abroad for education,
there was a great obstacle between orientation abroad and preparation at
home, and the struggle We faced was worse.
But convinced that a nation is seen highly possessed of works of
civilization due to its heritage of refinement from past generations and not
as a result of work accomplished in one generation, and realizing that such
heritage demands countless sacrifices, We exerted a great effort in order
to remove current difficulties and to pave the way for the coming
generations, and by faith passed the trial.
Moreover, as it was Our desire to improve all possible ways of distributing
education to all the Ethiopian population, there has never been one We
have not helped whenever an individual or a society wished to preach
education to the Ethiopians or to open a school.
School to receive examinations sent from schools in Europe, there were
many who passed the examinations and obtained elementary school
certificates. When We were then satisfied with the intelligence of the
Ethiopian pupils and the diligence of the teachers, We were encouraged to
double Our efforts. As We used to see for Ourselves, whenever We
visited the School, their diligence which was resulting in the advancement
of the pupils, We still remember the teachers who were here at that time.
Then We had only these students who proved progressive and diligent in
their studies sent abroad for pursuing their education. Whereas most of
these flowers of youth grown in this School were destroyed by Italy's
massacre, some have been spared by God and are now serving their
country. But when We thought of sending them abroad for education,
there was a great obstacle between orientation abroad and preparation at
home, and the struggle We faced was worse.
But convinced that a nation is seen highly possessed of works of
civilization due to its heritage of refinement from past generations and not
as a result of work accomplished in one generation, and realizing that such
heritage demands countless sacrifices, We exerted a great effort in order
to remove current difficulties and to pave the way for the coming
generations, and by faith passed the trial.
Moreover, as it was Our desire to improve all possible ways of distributing
education to all the Ethiopian population, there has never been one We
have not helped whenever an individual or a society wished to preach
education to the Ethiopians or to open a school.
| Chapter I - Part 3 |
| General Education |