This study investigates the challenges of secondary school history teaching in Ethiopia, tracing its roots back to 1943. Utilizing the two qualitative research approaches, such as descriptive and historical methods, hand in hand, the study meticulously examines primary sources such as archival materials and manuscripts, which were collected from institutions like the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES), and the Ministry of Education (MoE). Both published and unpublished works, such as books, textbooks, journals, and articles, were carefully examined. Key oral informants were purposefully selected by the researcher among secondary school history teachers, students, and curriculum experts as part of the study to their view of the current challenges of secondary school history teaching and to cross-validate the data collected from both primary and secondary sources. Then, the data were analyzed and interpreted both thematically and chronologically. Therefore, the finding reveals that since the onset of secondary school, history teaching has failed to be the source of knowledge, hastening the nation-building process and enhancing the critical thinking and analytical skills of youth, promoting peace and social cohesion. On the contrary, it has become a source of controversy, suspicion, hostility, and disharmony between scholars, politicians, and the people too. There were multiple sets of conundrums that bottlenecked the discipline to bear the above fruits. One factor is external, while the rest are internally driven. Both types of factors are interdependent. Secondly, the study discloses that the ideology of the various regimes that ruled the nation hurts the development of discipline. The challenges have further escalated since 1991 due to the growth of ethno-centric historians, both in number and the competing narratives they raised. Therefore, it is possible to argue that secondary school history education in Ethiopia has almost been in a disastrous situation. Before its total disruption, much had been expected from the experts of history. To rescue history teaching at the secondary school level, the curriculum and syllabus of history in Ethiopia need to be revised in a way that can promote a sense of nationalism and the nation-building process in the country. Second, the state should hand off its interference in history education and leave it to professionals. Third, while recrafting the curriculum of history in Ethiopia, professionals must take into consideration the need to provide much time and space for the realities of Ethiopia to liberate the discipline from foreign interference