Amidst a challenging educational landscape in Abyan, approximately three thousand volunteer teachers find themselves at the forefront, having been contracted two years ago to address the longstanding shortage of teaching staff plaguing Abyan Governorate in southern Yemen, a predicament shared by other Yemeni regions for a decade.
At the onset of the 2022/2023 academic year, UNICEF initiated a project aimed at education recovery and advancement, targeting multiple directorates in select Yemeni governorates, including Taiz, Marib, and the significant Khanfar district within Abyan Governorate.
The project's initial focus solely on the Khanfar district was strategically determined, directing efforts towards approximately seventy schools with a collective force of 1200 volunteer teachers. Subsequently, plans unfolded to extend support to the remaining directorates of the governorate in the ensuing year, with the exception of the Mahfad district, recognizing this expansion as a vital imperative. The comprehensive scope of the project encompassed 104 schools throughout the governorate, engaging nearly 2850 dedicated volunteer teachers in the pursuit of educational advancement and community development.
The educational discourse in Abyan has become a prominent topic among the public following the halt of the project, sparking apprehension among residents regarding the potential revival of the longstanding teacher shortage crisis that has afflicted the governorate for a decade. This complex issue, compounded by a myriad of challenges, has rendered their children vulnerable to academic setbacks and deprived them of comprehensive learning experiences.
The support provided by UNICEF to schools in Abyan Governorate encompassed a multifaceted approach, with a significant emphasis placed on offering financial incentives to volunteer teachers, amounting to approximately $50 per month. This strategic intervention not only mitigated the shortage of teaching personnel but also served as a temporary measure by engaging a substantial number of unemployed educational graduates into the educational framework.
Abeer Hadi, a passionate volunteer teacher committed to the students' well-being, expressed her genuine concerns to "Khuyut" regarding the challenges students are currently grappling with. The abrupt discontinuation of financial aid has forced a significant number of volunteers to pause their contributions, creating a ripple effect of uncertainty within the educational ecosystem. This disruption not only impacts the immediate learning environment but also raises broader questions about the sustainability and resilience of the educational initiatives in Abyan.
Sector relying on external support
The education sector in Yemen heavily relies on external support, facing significant hurdles since the onset of the conflict in 2015. The war has led to a marked deterioration in various sectors, with education being particularly hard hit. The destruction of schools along conflict lines, crumbling infrastructure in surviving institutions, overcrowded classrooms, textbook shortages, and a critical lack of qualified teachers have all contributed to a decline in the quality of education in Yemen in recent years.
A previous UNICEF report on the state of education in Yemen revealed alarming statistics. It noted that 2,916 schools, representing at least one in every four schools, had suffered damage. Furthermore, the report highlighted pervasive challenges within the education system, such as more than two-thirds of teachers – approximately 172,000 educators – not receiving regular salaries since 2016 or abandoning teaching to seek alternative income sources. These factors have not only hampered the delivery of quality education but have also exacerbated the already dire situation in Yemen's education sector.
The lack of government presence and the limited role of the authorities in the educational sector have compelled the Ministry of Education to seek assistance from various organizations. Amidst the ongoing crisis and conflict in Yemen, UNICEF has emerged as a key player in supporting the education sector in internationally recognized government-controlled provinces, with Abyan being a recipient of such support. This assistance has led to a certain level of stability in the educational process over two academic years. Anticipated to continue for a third year based on the agreement between UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, the sudden halt of the project has triggered concerns among education offices and the local community in Abyan.
On September 11th of last year, UNICEF sent text messages to contracted teachers, notifying them of the project suspension in the targeted areas and the termination of all support. This sudden development resulted in a significant number of volunteer teachers discontinuing their services. With the education office unable to quickly address and resolve the crisis, the situation presented substantial challenges for the education sector in Abyan province.
As a result, the educational activities in many schools across the province have come to a standstill, experiencing a near-complete paralysis. This situation is particularly dire as these schools have become heavily reliant on volunteer teachers for their operations. The staggering number of approximately thirty teachers in a single school has presented formidable challenges that are proving to be immensely difficult to address and overcome. The sheer scale of this reliance on volunteer educators has significantly impacted the educational landscape in Abyan province, exacerbating the existing struggles within the education sector.
Concern and Tension Over Suspension of the Funding
The suspension of financial support for volunteer teachers by UNICEF has sparked significant concerns among them. For many, the aid provided by the organization was a crucial source of income to meet their daily needs. Instead of enduring years of unemployment, joining schools offered them a long-awaited opportunity. Consequently, they are apprehensive about the repercussions of the support discontinuation.
In this context, teacher Wafa Saeed, one of the contracted teachers with the organization, shared her anxieties with "Khuyut" regarding the abrupt halt of the project. She pointed out the failure of the authorities in the province to offer any official solutions to address the crisis and tackle the current situation. She also stressed that many volunteer teachers have recently heavily relied on the incentives provided by UNICEF in their daily lives, making the cessation of support a source of tension for them currently.
Meanwhile, numerous volunteer teachers have called on the Education Office in the province to promptly acknowledge and resolve the crisis, enabling them to continue their work in schools and fulfill their responsibilities towards their students.
The scenario did not conclude when the organization notified the contracted individuals about the termination of support, resulting in some ceasing their work. The education offices in the directorates were left waiting for urgent solutions from the Ministry of Education to prevent a crisis stemming from the contractors stopping their work and a potential resurgence of the educational crisis. They intermittently provided reassurance to the volunteers, prompting many to consider persisting in teaching, holding onto hope for support from other organizations, as anticipated by many.
Addressing the Challenges Faced by Teachers
The educational landscape in Abyan has been a subject of intense public discourse following the halt of the project. The looming specter of a resurgence in the teacher shortage crisis is causing anxiety among the local populace. This crisis, which has plagued the community for a decade, has led to various challenges, including academic underperformance and the denial of access to certain subjects for their children.
The education authorities have faced challenges in providing consistent support for volunteer teachers and enacting sustainable solutions to combat the ongoing teacher shortage issue. The failure of the Ministry of Education to take decisive action to address the root causes of this problem poses a significant risk of disrupting the educational process at any given moment. It is crucial for the Ministry to urgently address the longstanding crisis in the governorate, which has persisted for over a decade.
However, the conflicting reports on finding solutions have caused a stir in the community, with rumors of unverified and unreliable solutions circulating until Dr. Wadah Al-Mahawari, the Director of the Education Office in the governorate, issued an official statement elucidating the crisis, its ramifications, and potential remedies. Dr. Al-Mahawari highlighted that the Education Office had forwarded a memorandum to the Minister of Education underscoring the critical need for ongoing support for volunteer teachers to prevent the repercussions of dismissing educators. Despite these efforts, the organization responded to the Ministry's communication by revealing that the donor had definitively ceased financial backing.
Additionally, Dr. Al-Mahawari underscored that the retirement of teachers and the cessation of recruitment since 2012 stand out as primary factors contributing to the dearth of teaching staff in the governorate. With an estimated retirement of nearly four thousand teachers this year alone, the situation is poised to exacerbate the existing problem, especially in light of the Ministry of Education's struggles to comprehensively address and resolve the issue.
Dr. Al-Mahawari emphasized that the crux of the matter lies in rectifying the status of retired teachers and strategically employing recent graduates to effectively mitigate the prolonged shortage that has persisted over the years.
The makeshift solutions are not sufficient
Following the announcement by the Education Office in the governorate regarding its complete inability to swiftly resolve the crisis, which poses a threat of school closures, parents were compelled to seek temporary solutions to safeguard their children from potential disruptions to their education.
Parent councils in certain schools in the district of Khanfar convened specifically to address the crisis and explore expedited solutions. The outcomes of these meetings urgently appealed to the local business community and influential individuals in the district. Many of them responded positively, pledging their support to sustain the educational process in the area.
As a result, some schools were able to provide varying salaries to volunteer teachers based on the capabilities of the supporters. Nevertheless, numerous schools in Khanfar, as well as in other districts within the governorate, continue to struggle in effectively tackling the issue at hand.
The failure of the Education Offices to sustain support for volunteer teachers and implement lasting solutions for the teacher shortage poses a grave threat to the educational system. Without decisive action from the Ministry of Education to address the underlying causes of the problem, there is a looming risk of the educational process facing abrupt suspension. To overcome the prolonged crisis that has persisted for over a decade in the governorate, it is essential to move beyond the temporary measures adopted by parent councils in certain schools, as these short-term fixes lack enduring effectiveness. A comprehensive and definitive resolution is crucial to prevent the impending educational crisis and ensure the long-term stability of the education sector.
