The Challenges of Education in Yemen: An Overview

Education is often considered as a fundamental right of every individual irrespective of their geographical location, economic status, or gender. However, the reality is far different, especially in underdeveloped countries like Yemen, where educational infrastructure is crumbling. Education in Yemen faces several challenges, such as poor infrastructure, inadequate funding, low enrollment rate, gender disparity, and internal conflict, which have impeded the provision of quality education to the children of Yemen.

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has aggravated the already dire situation of the education system in the country. Since the start of the conflict in 2015, more than 3 million children have been forced out of schools, and over 2,500 schools have been damaged or destroyed, which is nearly 30 percent of the country’s educational infrastructure. The overall literacy rate in Yemen is one of the lowest in the world, with just over 70 percent of adults being literate, and the country is facing significant challenges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of universal primary education by 2030.

Another significant challenge that the education system in Yemen faces is gender disparity. The female literacy rate is less than that of males, and there is a considerable gender gap in education enrollment in rural areas. According to UNICEF, only 40 percent of girls complete their primary education, and the figure drops to just 10 percent for secondary education.

Moreover, the education infrastructure also lags behind in Yemen. Most schools lack basic infrastructure, such as classrooms, washrooms, libraries, and laboratories, which affects the quality of education provided. Furthermore, the shortage of qualified teachers also hampers the delivery of quality education. The current teacher-pupil ratio in Yemen is about 1:40, which is much higher than the recommended ratio of 1:20 by UNESCO.

The inadequate funding is yet another challenge for the education system in Yemen. Yemen invests merely 3 percent of its GDP on education, which is significantly less than the recommended 6 percent by UNESCO. The lack of investment in education has resulted in the suboptimal condition of the educational infrastructure, which negatively affects the learning outcomes of students.

In conclusion, education in Yemen faces several challenges, ranging from poor infrastructure, inadequate funding, low enrollment rate, gender disparity, and internal conflict. Addressing these challenges is critical to provide quality education to the children of Yemen, which would subsequently contribute to the development of the country. It is high time that the international community should come forward and support the education system in Yemen by providing aid and resources to create a sustainable and robust education infrastructure. Furthermore, the government of Yemen must also take necessary steps to invest more in education and create a favorable environment for learning.

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