Executive Summary
Education is often one of the greatest casualties of war. In Yemen, this reality is borne out by the thousands of damaged and destroyed schools, tens of thousands of child soldiers, hundreds of thousands of teachers working without regular pay, and millions of students out of school. Mere numbers, however, are not sufficient to encapsulate the true toll. A generation of Yemenis have had their right to education and hope for a better future stripped away by airstrikes and fighting, by landmines and armed groups in and around their schools, and by beleaguered teachers presiding the best they can in over-crowded classrooms.

This policy brief examines the effects of Yemen’s armed conflict on the country’s education system, focusing in particular on the consequences of attacks on schools, students, and teachers. Drawing on key informant interviews in Taiz and consultations with experts in Sana’a city, as well as a desk review of existing research and data, this study illustrates some of Yemen’s dire education recovery and reconstruction needs. Recommendations for authorities include:

• Adopting a comprehensive plan to coordinate and finance the rebuilding of education infrastructure in conflict and gender-sensitive manners;
• Creating policies to recruit new educators and support existing teachers who have suffered the hardships of poverty and conflict;
• and respecting the civilian nature of education.

[To read the full report, please follow the “View Source” link]

—————————-

This policy brief was produced as part of the Yemen Peace Forum, a Sana’a Center initiative that seeks to empower the next generation of Yemeni youth and civil society activists to engage in critical national issues.

Alexander Kochenburger is a researcher and education in emergencies professional focusing on the impact of armed conflict on education. He currently serves as the Coordinator at the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), where he supports the Coalition’s programmatic work through assisting advocacy and research efforts as well as managing its communications and finances. He previously worked at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and at AMIDEAST in Washington, DC. He is an alumnus of the Fulbright program in Morocco and holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.