Out of 4.5 Million Students in Basic Education:

"I traveled to Saudi after high school to work and support my family who live in the village. I wanted to go to college, but my family needs my support," said Fares Al-Ezzi, a Yemeni high school graduate who works in a mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He continued saying, "Why go to college? What did those who went to college get? I know many college graduates who work in stores or other simple jobs," he added.

Several people like Al-Ezzi have traveled to Saudi since the Saudi ministries of interior and labor announced that Yemenis that are offered contracts to work in Saudi Arabia must provide their academic credentials to prove their specialization in the area of work. This in result has been a door for a large number of Yemenis university graduates to travel to Saudi.

Other citizens are not require to give academic proof, but they can only get work visas for construction jobs and then change their job titles in Saudi Arabia according to the Saudi Ministry of Labor Statistics Book (2006-2007). These people don't hold college degrees, but all of them have a high school certificate at  best.

A UN study reveals that out of the original 7 million school-age children in Yemen, less than two thirds are in school. Of the 4.5 million Yemeni elementary school students, given the status quo, only 164,530 can make it all the way to college, which means only 6% of the student population in our nation may make it to the university. Also, out of the 4.5 million students in basic education, only 18% of them make it to high school. Moreover, from the 18%, only 31% make it to college or other post-high school institutes and programs. This 31% constitutes less than 6% of the students at the first step of the educational ladder in Yemen.

Although it is true that the four and a half million students who are now in elementary and secondary schools can make it to college, the high dropout rate might not allow that to happen. According to a UN report, more than 50% of basic education school students drop out for different reasons, but mainly, to get jobs and support themselves and their families. Many others quit because of the improper educational practices in schools and universities according to a UNICEF official. As for many girls, they are forced out of schools to work at home or get married early says a UN report.

The main reason for the high rate of school dropout is the grinding poverty and economic crisis that keeps creeping more and more Yemeni homes as a UN report reveals. Inflation, price hikes, unemployment, low salaries, and the absence of scholarship programs funded by private companies and businesses in Yemen are just some of the reasons that aggravate the situation.

Universities and education in general will suffer in the budget for the fiscal year 2008. The Central Bank of Yemen indicated that Yemen has lost more than one billion dollars in oil revenues as a result of a 39% decrease in oil production. According to a UN Development Report, Yemen ranks 133 out of the 166 countries in the world in terms of development and economic prosperity.

The huge size of the Yemeni family, especially in rural areas (average number of people per family is 8.2), along with the high birth rate in Yemen according to a UNICEF official contribute to school dropout. Going to school for such children is out of question, let alone going to college because "their parents either encourage them to find jobs to support the family," adds the official.

The low income of Yemeni employees and workers lead many families to encourage their children to drop school and find jobs in Yemen or elsewhere (most probably in Saudi Arabia). The proximity and common cultural background with Yemen's rich neighbor makes Saudi a preferred destination for Yemeni workers. Saudi Arabia is home to more than one million Yemeni workers, according to latest sources.

Unemployment intensifies the rate of school dropout. Families suffer even more seriously if they have no supporter or if no one in the household is employed. The unemployment rate in Yemen is very high: 34%, according to the Ministry of Planning and Development’s last report. Another factor that contributes to unemployment is the increasing number of refugees from Somalia and Iraq, specifically. Reports  mention that Yemen hosts more than 100,000 registered and 50,000 unregistered refugees most of whom are Somalis. These refugees according to UNHCR and the Yemeni Ministry of Labor and Social affairs have been issued refugee cards that allow them to get jobs in NGO's, embassies and private sector companies, which basically pay higher than government jobs. The jobs these refugees receive, could have been potential employment opportunities for Yemenis. This, therefore, contributes to raising the unemployment rate. Unemployment, in turn, intensifies the rate of school dropout and prevents students from going to college. 

IRIN, a human rights organization mentions that many young people whose families are stricken by unemployment and poverty, resort to fleeing the unbearable situation in Yemen to seek their fortune elsewhere, which eliminates any possible return to school or going to college. Therefore, making the easiest way out for them is not joining a university and getting an education that will change their lives.

Another factor that keeps this problem growing is the poor and educationally counterproductive situation in Yemeni universities due to old and ineffective teaching methods and poor infrastructure according to UN Children’s Fund in Yemen. In a report on education in Yemeni universities issued by the Supreme Counsel of Educational Planning (SCEP), it was indicated that the increasing number of Yemeni universities has not been planned. As a result, there are 53 colleges of Humanities, while there are only 30 scientifically-based colleges. The report mentions that there are many repeated departments in these colleges. Arabic, Islamic Studies, History and Geography departments constituted more than 30% of the repeated departments in our universities. The report recommended that colleges of humanities be decreased to give place to more colleges of applied sciences, which the country needs the most.

Previous president of Taiz University, Dr. Ali Al-Mikhlafi said in an interview that "we started a university without the buildings in which to hold classes." He added that the problem of poor education in Yemeni universities is the joint responsibility of the university teachers, the government and the society. University teachers blame the government for low salaries, and the society for low social status. The government accuses university teaching staff of being too bookish and inefficient. The society, according to Dr. Al-Mikhlafi, holds part of the responsibility because parents want their children to just receive a degree, no matter how they are educated. He concludes that Yemeni universities have a marginal role in contributing to the development of our society and nation. The frustration and disappointment students face with our universities is naturally passed from college students to their relatives and acquaintances who aim to go to universities. As a result, they develop a dislike for college and university study before they even get there and they even wait for any chance to escape college.

Yemeni universities pump out thousands of students who can't secure good jobs or jobs of any sort because there aren't enough employment opportunities in the government sector according to an SCEP report.

A study by Dr. Abdullah Al-Faqih, professor of political sciences at Sana'a university showed that more than 80% of our university graduates majored in education, arts or humanities, fields not urgently needed in the work market. While the outcomes of our universities in technical and scientific fields that are needed the most, they are below 15%. The study cites many reasons for poor education in Yemeni universities such as limited funds, poor infrastructure, poor school education, low salaries of teachers, gender divide, transportation problems, and poor strategic planning. The wrong and poor educational practices at schools, according to the study, in addition to poverty, unemployment and economic instability all cause our school student to either dropout or continue and graduate with very poor and insufficient preparation that does not qualify them to major in any scientific field. The result is graduating with a degree in arts, which means unemployment.

To escape this tragic ending, many high school students get jobs in Yemen. Although young people who literally "sneak into" Yemen's affluent neighbor undergo many dangers and life-threatening hazards, thousands of them continue pouring into Saudi Arabia on a daily basis. Given the stable conditions in Saudi Arabia and the better living conditions, many young Yemenis go legally or illegally to Saudi Arabia. It was reported by the Saudi Ministry of Interior that between 3,000 and 4,000 illegal Yemeni workers are deported back to Yemen daily after being caught by Saudi Authorities. This number is an indication of the number of Yemeni young people who flee schools and all of their home country as a result of poverty.

The situation for girls is more serious. According to a UN report, most of the girls in the Yemeni education system cannot continue to attend basic education school let alone getting to college for several reasons. The report mentions reasons such as early marriages, low number of girl-only schools in Yemen, poverty and the need for women to work for their living in addition to the social stigma associated with women going to college and mixing and meeting with men. Many of those who could have become doctors, teachers, engineers and business women become illiterate mothers. They are deprived access to education, and consequently a right to contribute to the welfare of the nation.

Dr. Basurra, the Minister of Higher Education blames private sector for not contributing to academic research and university education.