College of Education is one of the academic units of the University of Gondar. The College of education as a legal entity of the University appeared to be a budgeted academic wing in the 2009/10 fiscal year as the late school of Education. The College is assumed as a vital portion of the teaching-learning process of the University which takes a prime mission for preparing highly qualified professionals in the fields of education, conducting research, and community Services.
The College had begun providing education and training at the beginning of the 2010/2011 academic year with two departments i.e. Educational Planning and Management and Special Needs and Inclusive Education. During that time the College of Education had a total of ten academic staff and three support staff.
The first batches of the College of education were 113 of which 95 were males and 18 were females. The students were from two sources i.e. students who directly joined the University from preparatory secondary school for fulfilling higher education entrance points and students drawn on an advanced standing basis while students of special needs were selected from Preparatory Secondary school students.
The first batch of the College graduated in 2013. A total of 97 students graduated from both departments in the regular undergraduate program. So far 9 batches have graduated since 2013. Since its establishment, the College is striving to expand its scope and service. The number of departments and programs is increasing from time to time. Currently, the College has four departments such as Department of Educational Planning and Management (EdPM), the Department of Special needs and inclusive education (SNIE), and the Department of Lifelong Learning and Community Development (LLCD), and Pedagogy Unit. The Department of Lifelong Learning and Community Development, formerly Adult Education and Community Development, received its first batch in 2015/16. In 2015/2016 the College opened three post-graduate programs namely: MA in Educational Planning and Management, MA in School Leadership, and MA in Special Needs and Inclusive Education. Besides, the college began an undergraduate extension program in Educational Planning and Management in 2014/2015. By the year 2021/2022 the college has achieved its milestone vision and opened the 3rd degree under the department of Educational Planning and management. The nomenclature is PhD in Education in three specializations. Such as Leadership and Management, planning and Policy, and Higher Education Administration.
Currently, the College has 49 academic staff and 29 support staff. Of the academic staff, 13 are assistant professors, 7 PhD 1 Associate professor, 1 professor, and 26 lecturers of which 6 are PhD candidates & 2 MA students. Moreover, the professor, listed above, is an expatriate staff of Ethiopian-American. Form the total number of academic staff, 13 of them are females and the rest are males. The current active staff are engaged in teaching, research, and community service. Quality education, Indigenous knowledge for education, Special needs, and, leadership in schools were some of the areas of research so far. The faculty members also provided community services specifically training for the education sector such as school teachers, Principals, education officers, and supervisors.