ABSTRACT
Church education is one of the main formal ‘traditional’/indigenous education that has been offered in Ethiopia for many years. The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of Nibab-Bet (School of Reading) for modern education by considering the views of the educated Ethiopians studied in the two schools (modern and church education). The method preferred for this study is qualitative research. Data were secured from those (numbering 58) who studied in both church education and modern education. Although Nibab-Bet has its own limitations, respondents believe that its contribution in promoting reading abilities and understanding while studying in modern schooling is underscored. Hence, it is suggested that since reading is one of the serious problems facing students in modern schooling, it is imperative to consider the good experiences of Nibab-Bet particularly in primary schools.
