Worrying measures taken by the Houthi terrorist militia before the new school year: What are they?
Educational sources in Sanaa have revealed worrying measures taken by the Houthi terrorist militia, Iran’s arm in Yemen, before the start of the new school year. These measures require all private schools to pay high fees of up to $50 per student, to the so-called Ministry of Education controlled by the Houthis.
This measure has led many private schools to increase tuition fees for students to compensate for the financial losses caused by these new levies.
It was noted that many families in Houthi-controlled areas are unable to enroll their children in schools, even public ones, due to the continued deterioration of their living conditions and the manipulation of school materials by the Houthis, especially religious ones.
Ms. (M.N) from Sanaa said that she refused to send her children to school because of the sectarianism and hatred taught in public schools, as well as the modification of religious subjects by erroneous Iranian doctrines.
She also mentioned her financial inability to enroll her children in private schools due to her husband’s salary being cut off for years because of the Houthis, and that his current job barely meets the family’s daily needs.
International reports confirm that more than two million Yemeni children are deprived of education due to the ongoing conflict in the country, which has also affected educational facilities. In the past two years, nearly 200 incidents of attacks and targeting of schools and higher education institutions have been recorded, in addition to the use of some of them for military purposes.
The report highlights the continuation of dangerous practices such as child recruitment and ideological indoctrination in schools, especially in areas controlled by the Houthis. This confirms the exploitation of education for political purposes in this ongoing conflict.
In a recent report, the Global Coalition to Protect Education revealed that nearly 200 incidents of attacks and targeting of educational facilities and their personnel have occurred in Yemen, in addition to the use of others for military purposes in the past two years.
The international report observed specific cases of continuous child recruitment or ideological indoctrination in schools, especially in the governorates of Sanaa, Hajjah, and Hodeidah, all under Houthi control.
It also documented during this period at least 99 incidents of using educational facilities in Yemen for military purposes, which represents more than double the number of similar cases recorded in 2020 and 2021, with 49 incidents of military use of these facilities.
It is noted that about 2.7 million Yemeni children are still out of school, nearly half of them girls, according to international statistics.
