Government report reveals shocking numbers about the educational process in Yemen

A survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Aden and Sanaa, with international support, revealed shocking numbers about the state of the education process in Yemen, which has been disrupted due to the war ignited by the Iran-backed Houthis in late March 2015.

The results of the survey, which covered 22 provinces, showed that one in every four children (25%) is enrolled in primary education, while over half of the children (53%) in secondary education are out of school. Additionally, only half of the children are enrolled in the first grade of primary schools, and the completion rates are only 53% in primary education and 37% in secondary education.

The survey includes collecting data on household living conditions in Yemen for women, girls, and boys in order to utilize the information in policy-making, program development, and national and international development plans.

Yemen is facing a severe education crisis, with the potential number of children suffering from disruptions to their education reaching 6 million students. This will have significant long-term consequences for them.

Since the beginning of the war, the attacks on schools, teachers, and educational infrastructure have left devastating effects on the education system in the country and on the opportunities for millions of children to access education.

Local and international reports indicate that 2916 schools (at least one out of every four schools) have been destroyed, partially damaged, or used for non-educational purposes as a result of the conflict in the country.

The educational structure also faces more obstacles, as more than two-thirds of teachers (approximately 172,000 teachers) do not receive their salaries. This is due to the Houthis refusal to hand over their salaries, despite having sufficient liquidity through taxes, customs, and revenues from the Hodeidah ports since 2016. This has led them to stop teaching and seek alternative income-generating activities.

The Houthis have deprived two million children from education and recruited thousands of children in combat fronts, military and security checkpoints, and facility guarding. They have also withheld the salaries of teachers, bombed schools, converted some into military barracks, and made changes to the educational curriculum to serve their sectarian and religious agendas.