THE REVOLUTION SCHOOL AT FIFTY:
Does Eritrea Still Live by Its First Victory?

(ቀዳማይ ዓወት ሓቂ እዩ)
Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Bet Timhirt Sewra (1976–2026)

by Dr Thomas Araya

Introduction

The fiftieth anniversary of the Eritrean Revolution School (Bet Timhirt Sewra) offers an opportunity to reflect on one of the most distinctive institutions created during the Eritrean liberation struggle. Established under extraordinary wartime conditions, the Revolution School was initially designed to educate and care for children and youth who had come under the protection of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF). As the struggle evolved, the institution expanded into a broader educational system that promoted literacy, political education, discipline, civic responsibility, and national consciousness.

More than school, it became a symbol of the liberation movement’s conviction that the struggle for independence required not only military victory but also the education of a generation capable of rebuilding a nation. Fifty years later, its legacy invites both celebration and thoughtful reflection on the relationship between the ideals taught during the liberation struggle and the realities of independent Eritrea.

(Bet Timhirt Sewra) offers an opportunity to reflect on one of the most distinctive institutions created during the Eritrean liberation struggle. Established under extraordinary wartime conditions, the Revolution School was initially designed to educate and care for children and youth who had come under the protection of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF). As the struggle evolved, the institution expanded into a broader educational system that promoted literacy, political education, discipline, civic responsibility, and national consciousness.

Who Were the Students of the Revolution School?

One of the unique characteristics of the Revolution School was the diversity of its student population. The school was not established through ordinary enrollment but developed in response to the humanitarian and political realities of a nation at war.

Its students generally came from several groups:

1976–1978

Children from Eritrean refugee camps in Sudan, particularly Suki and Wedel Hilo.

Children orphaned or separated from their families during Ethiopian military operations, including attacks on communities such as Hirgigo, Ona and Nakfa.

ተዘክሮ ኣረሜናዊ ህልቂት ዖና | Residents of Una remember the massacre of 1971

Children whose parents had joined the EPLF and brought their families into the liberated areas.

Memorial day - Eritrea, Hirgigo massacre 8th April 2017 - Part 1

Some young people who had been detained by the EPLF on suspicion of acting as enemy informants were incorporated into educational and rehabilitation programs.

1978–1983

Following the major military developments of 1978, the student body expanded significantly with the arrival of many young people from the Eritrean highlands (Kebesa), often remembered within the movement as the “Red Flowers.”

1983 and Beyond

As the liberation struggle intensified, increasing numbers of young people entered the Revolution School from liberated areas and communities affected by the war. During this period, wartime mobilization policies also influenced the composition of the student population.

This diversity meant that the Revolution School became a meeting place for children and youth from different regions, languages, religions, and social backgrounds. It played an important role in fostering a shared Eritrean identity during the liberation struggle.

Accomplishments

The Revolution School evolved into one of the largest educational institutions established by a liberation movement in Africa. Over the course of the struggle, it provided education, vocational training, political education, and social development for thousands of children and young people whose lives had been profoundly affected by war. Many graduates later became teachers, health workers, administrators, military officers, engineers, and community leaders during and after the liberation struggle.

Reflection

The anniversary of the Revolution School also invites reflection on a larger question. Educational institutions do more than transmit knowledge; they shape civic values, leadership, and public ethics. The ideals taught within the Revolution School, including truth, discipline, service, equality, and self-criticism—remain relevant to every generation regardless of changing political circumstances. Their continued significance lies not in nostalgia for the past but in their enduring capacity to guide future nation-building.

Conclusion

The Revolution School was born in the midst of war, yet its greatest achievement was not military. Its greatest achievement was its belief that education could transform individuals and, ultimately, a nation.

Fifty years later, its legacy belongs to all Eritreans. It challenges every generation to ask not only what was accomplished during the liberation struggle but also how the principles taught in its classrooms can continue to inspire truth, integrity, constitutional governance, national unity, and responsible leadership.

If the Revolution School taught that “the first victory is truth,” then its fiftieth anniversary reminds us that truth remains the foundation upon which every enduring nation must continue to build.

If the principle “the first victory is truth” (ቀዳማይ ዓወት ሓቂ እዩ) is understood as emphasizing honesty, accountability, self-criticism, openness to correcting mistakes, and ethical leadership, then many observers argue that Eritrea today falls short of those ideals in important respects.

The true legacy of the Revolution School does not lie only in the generations it educated, but in the values it sought to instill. If truth was indeed regarded as the first victory, then its greatest test begins not on the battlefield but in the life of an independent nation. Every generation must ask whether it possesses the courage to confront reality honestly, celebrate achievements with humility, acknowledge shortcomings without fear, and strengthen the nation through integrity, accountability, and a shared commitment to the common good.

See also more articles by Dr Thomas Araya
ካልኦት ብ'ዶ/ር ቶማስ ኣርኣያ ዝተጻሕፉ ጽሑፋትን ዝተዋህቡ ሰሚናራትን፡ ኣብ ታሕቲ ተወከሱ:-

Dehay Eritrea 💥 ክንመርሕ ኣይተመልመልናን! ደሃይ ኤርትራ

Global Policy / መትከላት

Snitna: Code of Conduct — መርበብ ሓበሬታና ዝምራሓሉ መትከላት

ስኒትና.ኮም (www.snitna.com)፡ ነቲ ኣብ 1936 ዝወጸ መትከላት ጋዜጠኝነት (UK and Irish journalism): ከምኡውን ንመትከላት ሃገራዊ ማሕበር ጋዜጠኛታት (National Union of Journalists (NUJ)፡ የኽብር። Snitna Policy Code Asset Logo ብተወሳኺ፡ ነቲ ኣብ ዩቱብ ቻነል ዝወጽእ ሓበሬታ፡ ንመትከላት ማሕበራዊ መትከላት ዩቱብ (YouTube Community Guidelines)፡ እናኽበረ የውጽእ። ስኒትና፡ ብዝከኣሎ መጠን፡ ነዚ መትከላት'ዚን ናይ ሃገርና ኤርትራን ህዝባን ክዉንነትን ምርኩስ ገይሩ፡ ኣብ መርበብ ሓበሬታኡ ስኒትና (www.snitna.com) ክውጽእ ዝግብኦ ሓበሬታ እናመመየ ከውጽእ ይህቅንን ይጽዕርን። እዚ ስራሕዚ ምሉእ ዓወት ንክህልዎ ድማ ብዓቢኡ፡ ግቡእ ኣጠቓቕማ ተሳተፍቲን ምትሕብባርን ምስዝህሉ ኢዩ። ስለዚ፡ ነዚ መትከላት ዚ ንምኽባር ንኹሉ ተገልጋላይ'ዚ መርበብዚ ንጽውዕ። ዝኾነ ሃሳዪ ተርእዮታት ምስዘጋጥሙ፡ ቅሬታኹም ወይ ርእይቶኹም ብኢመይል ኣድራሻና ኣቢልኩም ክትልእኩልና ንላቦ። Read more

See also Related / ምስዚ ዝተኣሳሰር ሓበሬታ፡-

THE REVOLUTION SCHOOL AT FIFTY: Does Eritrea Still Live by Its First Victory?

(ቀዳማይ ዓወት ሓቂ እዩ) Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Bet Timhirt Sewra (1976–2026)

by Dr Thomas Araya

Snitna: Code of Conduct — መርበብ ሓበሬታና ዝምራሓሉ መትከላት

THE REVOLUTION SCHOOL AT FIFTY:
Does Eritrea Still Live by Its First Victory?

(ቀዳማይ ዓወት ሓቂ እዩ)
Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Bet Timhirt Sewra (1976–2026)