Over nine million children are currently out of school across Ethiopia due to conflict, violence and natural disasters, with more than 6,000 schools shut down, according to the United Nations.

In a report published on Thursday, the United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF, said the highest numbers of out-of-school children are found in the Amhara region with 4.4 million, followed by the Oromia region with 3.2 million, and the Tigray region with about 1.2 million children.

UNICEF said Ethiopia’s education sector has been “devastated” because of conflicts, natural disasters and internal displacement.

“Over 10,000 schools, representing 18% of schools across the country, have been damaged by conflict and climate shocks, further reducing the availability of safe and functional learning spaces,” the report said.

Yohannes Wogasso, the head of educational programs and quality improvement at the Ethiopia Ministry of Education, said the U.N. figure does not reflect the ministry’s own data and may be a result of different definitions of "out-of-school student.”

He said, “I think the discrepancy may arise from the fact that they are not collecting real-time data, as it often takes a long time to gather accurate data."

Fighting forces children from class

Conflict has forced the closure of many schools in the Amhara and Oromia regions, where rebel groups are fighting government forces.

On Sept. 18, two teachers were killed in the Sinan district of East Gojam in the Amhara region, which created fear and concern among the region’s school workers, education workers said.

Without naming a particular group, the local administration at the time accused armed groups “who swear in the name of the Amhara people” of being behind the killing.

The Amhara rebel group known as Fano denies targeting the teachers and civilians but admits it’s against the reopening of some schools “for the safety of students and community.”

Headscarf dispute at Tigray region school

Meanwhile, some public schools in the ancient Tigray city of Axum have banned Islamic headscarves, forcing 159 female students to miss school, Muslim organizations in Ethiopia said.

The Tigray region’s Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council said Axum school’s move to block Muslim female students who wear the headscarf “undermines the values of religious tolerance in the country, where different religions respect each other.”

The council alleged that “Muslim girl students are being threatened, arrested and pressured by the police to remove their hijab.”

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education allows Muslim female students to wear headscarves in schools. The Islamic affairs council said the actions of Axum schools are not acceptable.

“While my classmates are at school, I am at home,” said a 12th-grade student at Axum Secondary School, one of the schools that imposed the ban, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions.

She said she wishes that authorities would reconsider their decision.

“Because of the war in Tigray, I didn’t go to school for three years, and now, because of the hijab,” said another 10th-grader, who also requested anonymity for safety reasons.

“Going to school at this time is scary; the police are arresting and threatening female Muslim students who wear the hijab around the school.”

Kindeya Elementary School is another school that refused attendance of students wearing headscarves, parents said.

Nuruya Mohamed, 55, is the mother of four daughters. Three of them are students at Kindeya Elementary School, the fourth in Axum Secondary School. She said all her four daughters are now staying at home because they are “scared of the authorities.”

“I have never seen female Muslim students with hijabs being blocked from school in my life,” Nuruya said.

The schools have defended their stance.

“Schools are not religious or political areas,” said Axum Secondary School Vice Director Gebremeskel Gebregziabher. He added that students are not allowed to enter school with religious symbols or dress, a policy that has been in place for decades.

Some support for the ban

The school has the support of some of the parents.

Mulu Tamene, the mother of a sixth-grade student at Kindeya Elementary School, believes that banning headscarves in schools is justified. “Schools should not be religious spaces. Students can wear the hijab up to the school entrance, but they should remove it once inside,” she said.

Natnael Fitsum, a former Axum student, said that during his time in school between 1999 to 2010, “teachers would remove the hijab and other headscarves from students,” he said, adding that “it’s common for schools in Axum to ban the hijab.”

A source from the Education Bureau in Axum who requested anonymity as he is not allowed to speak with media, told VOA that out of the 15 schools in Axum, four have banned the wearing of the hijab.

However, the students said they wore the hijab when attending schools in previous years, including last year.

Contacted by VOA, the head of the public relations department at Ethiopia's Ministry of Education, Mesfin Bogale, said, “This issue concerns the regional education bureau.”

The mayor of Axum, the head of the city’s education office and the head of the Tigray Education Bureau did not answer calls from VOA.

“This must be resolved urgently,” the Ethiopia Islamic Affairs Supreme Council said.

This story originated in VOA's Horn of Africa Service.