Torn books... Education between the anvil of private shops and the hammer of government mediocrity

The number of students in the capital, Aden, has increased from private to public schools, due to the inability of parents to bear the expensive and increasing costs of the former.

The conditions of many middle-income families have worsened due to the continuing collapse of the Yemeni riyal against foreign currencies and the continued rise in prices in the south, which has led to a disruption in the financial budget of families, especially those with a number of children, forcing them to transfer their children to government schools.

Despite the quality of education in private schools and the modern educational process with modern technological means and luxurious classes that provide electricity and services, their exorbitant fees have become an obstacle for families with a deteriorating living and economic situation.

Each student needs approximately 300,000 annually for the primary stages, in addition to some other costs, such as paying fees for books, buses, and school uniforms. Huge sums that families with more than one child are unable to pay.

In exchange for free education in public schools, students face difficult conditions, including the crowding of more than 100 in one class, coinciding with the heat of the summer and power outages for long periods, which leads to weak comprehension and also some cases of severe decline in children due to the heat.

In addition to the lack of availability of the textbook, or the provision of old torn books so that families resort to buying copies from the markets, after the General Corporation for Textbook Printing Presses in Aden and Hadhramaut stopped working due to the Maeen government stopping funding the printing of the textbook, which led to the inability to purchase production inputs. And paying the salaries of the institution’s workers, as it is an economic institution, pushing it to the specter of complete collapse.

In several protests, the Foundation’s employees called on the government to activate the role of the General Foundation for Textbook Printing Presses and provide it with financial support, to meet the increasing demand for textbooks.

They rejected Cabinet Resolution No. (5) of 2023 regarding printing textbooks outside the General Corporation for School Book Printing Presses, which they said would exacerbate the crisis experienced by the educational sector in Aden and the liberated areas and the government would shirk its duties by paying the budget and privatizing printing.

Education is considered a vital task for developing societies and achieving sustainable development, but the government and the Ministry of Education, which issues permits for these schools, have been unable to organize them with regulations and follow up on the process of imposing fees and amounts that are increasing annually.

المصدر: نيوزيمن