The World Bank releases a new report on education in Yemen… What does it say?
The World Bank sheds more light on the deterioration of the quality of education in Yemen due to the ongoing conflict for over 8 years.
According to the new report by the World Bank titled “Voices from Yemen,” it states that “the conflict in Yemen has led to a decline in the quality of education and has caused student dropout rates, according to the opinions of most Yemenis who have been interviewed over the past four years,” as reported by News Yemen.
After conducting interviews and collecting qualitative data for 4 years. the World Bank found that high-quality education is a problem in Yemen. and families face significant difficulties in sending their children to school.
According to the report, all respondents expressed their belief that the quality of education has deteriorated significantly, with most schools operating on an emergency timetable, resulting in part-time classes and often irregular lessons.
The report further points out that interviews with families, school principals, and senior officials at the provincial level illustrate the grim picture of education, especially regarding the quality of education, enrollment rates. and student dropout rates from government schools throughout Yemen.
The World Bank’s report “Surviving in Wartime” also highlighted that 18% of families have at least one school-age child who has not attended school in the past 30 days.
The report states that prolonged absence from quality education can fuel conflict by reducing human capital development in Yemen. It highlighted key reasons for the noticeable decline in quality and dropout rates, including a shortage of teachers. a lack of printed textbooks, shortcomings in infrastructure. overcrowded classrooms. declining family incomes, distance to schools, and a lack of transportation options.
In a report released by the World Bank in February of the previous year. it was mentioned that more than 2.4 million boys and girls of school age are out of school in Yemen. and around 8.5 million primary school-age children need humanitarian assistance. Approximately one-third of the population requires food and clothing assistance. with food and other school-related expenses preventing many families from sending their children to school.
At that time, the World Bank launched a project to restore education in Yemen, aiming to facilitate the return of children to their schools by providing incentives to teachers. providing meals for children. and equipping and rehabilitating more than 1,000 schools in various provinces of the country. It emphasized that more than two million children are out of school.
