Education in Yemen needs to be reformed, says study

Yemeni students are dramatically lacking inspiration from their teachers, as well as decent facilities.

The education curricula in Yemen rely much too heavily on rote memorization, outdated stereotypes, and outmoded traditions, said a new study.  “This occurs in the absence of laboratories and the failure to keep us with education developments in many Arab countries, and the failure to keep abreast of modern developments and techniques, as well as the absence of curriculum requirements for modern science disciplines, computers, and electronics,” said researcher Ahmed Sharaf Saeed, the assistant press secretary to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who prepared the study.

The study focused on diagnosing the weaknesses in Yemen’s educational system. These weaknesses manifest themselves in the lack of even the basic requirements for education.  There are not enough school buildings, and the classrooms are very crowded, especially in the cities. Also, there is a lack of resources and preparation for classes, especially in the countryside.  The administrative capacity is weak, and there is an absence of training programs, in addition to the large deficit in teaching materials for science, mathematics, and English.    The study finds that sports and art activities are largely absent, and there is a need to introduce new materials. Schools should include classes on moral education, arts education, the environment, and health, said the report. 

There is also a large deficit in the provision of books. Some 60 million copies of each textbook are needed, and the estimated deficit is 20 million copies.  The books are also grossly inadequate. In addition to the poor printing and layout of the textbooks, there are many typographical and language errors, and mistakes regarding the content itself.  All of these problems are exacerbated by rampant cheating, favoritism, and bribery.  Many education officials have admitted that the size of the classrooms is a chronic problem. Schools continue to receive batches of students annually, and the majority of them, especially at the stage of basic education, drop out of school.

They are the children of poor families who move to cities in search of a better life, but they end up having to do child labor to survive. Even more serious is the fact that some of these people become victims of organized crime syndicates that take advantage of the poor and disenfranchised, some teachers say. Some teachers reported that education in Yemen is getting better, but it still needs real attention from the government.  “Our schools need equipment and materials for good and effective teaching,” said Mahmoud al-Shawafi, a teacher. “There is a need for teaching aids. Teaching in Yemen only depends on the books. Teachers have to prepare their own aids with the help of the students to perform as best they can and for students to enjoy the classes. We hear that the biggest part of Yemen’s budget is spent on education, but we see nothing.” 

Education in Yemen today needs a strategic vision, said Eman Rajeh, a teacher. “It needs a comprehensive and integrated strategy based on the objectives and philosophy of education. It needs a new education policy that should promote believing in the national principles and religious and moral values. It has to develop a sense of responsibility and integrity. Education should prepare a generation to meet the needs of society and the demands of development.” The study said that education has greatly expanded and has gotten unprecedented attention since the revolution against the Imamate, and especially after the unification, but this expansion was quantified at the expense of quality. There was no strategic vision and the education policy was not made well enough to prepare Yemen to develop at a competitive rate.

The educational system should ensure the preparation of generations for their responsibility towards the society.  There is also a lack of specialized personnel in the field of educational and curriculum planning, but, according to Saeed, it was natural for the efforts made by the state since the 1890s to reform the education to fail. “It was relying on the people who were responsible for the Ministry of Education without paying attention to educational policy,” said Saeed.  The study suggested several measures are needed to improve the level of education in Yemen.  One such suggestion is for the president to set up a higher education council headed by, at least, the Vice President. The council’s job would be to examine and evaluate projects and strategies prepared by ministries concerning education.

The council would be concerned with all phases of education, from elementary school through secondary school and even university. It’s important that education be integrated into the country’s infrastructure so that it can help to achieve national objectives, said the report.  The report also suggested the establishment of a national fund for the development of education in order to provide the necessary financial resources for the advancement of the educational process.  The state should also allocate funds from the annual budget, which should be supplemented by other public and private contributions. This is in addition to the grants and assistance provided by states, organizations, and regional and international bodies. 

“The budget for education could be arranged according to goals, plans, and educational events. It also should adopt the principle of freedom to dispose the budget according to specific procedures to achieve flexibility in the arrangement of needs,” said the study.  The study emphasized that the electoral program of the president should be one of the funnels for the strategic vision for education and the engine which will lead the march of the modern Renaissance of Yemeni society.

It should identify seven years to implement the strategy’s hubs and to be linked with the electoral program of the president. The study also stressed the importance of identifying a mechanism for follow-up, evaluation and measurement of the level of implementation of the strategic axes, in accordance with specific plans to send annual reports to the Office of the President.

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