Needs Assessment of Education and Recommendations for German Cooperation: The Case of Yemen Prepared by Dr. Ensaf Abdou Kassem Assistant Researchers: Dr. Ad Saleh Al Khalakhy Dr. Abdel Basset Saeed Al Fakih Sanaa, October 2004 ZEF Bildungsstudie 12.2004, Abteilung ZEFa 1 Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION ___________________________________________________________ 4 I.1 Population _____________________________________________________________________ 4 I.2 Objectives of the Study __________________________________________________________ 4 I.3. Scope and Methodology _________________________________________________________ 4 II. ARAB HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT (AHDR) ____________________________ 4 III. GENERAL EDUCATION ___________________________________________________ 6 III.1 Basic Education _______________________________________________________________ 6 III.2 Secondary Education __________________________________________________________ 6 III.3 Challenges Facing Basic and Secondary Education__________________________________ 7 III.4 Critical Strategic Issues Facing Basic and Secondary Education_______________________ 8 III.5 Government Efforts to Improve Education ________________________________________ 8 III.5.1 Projects for the improvement of basic education ___________________________________________8 III.5.2 Projects for the development of secondary education________________________________________9 III.5.3 Establishing pilot projects ____________________________________________________________9 III.5.4 Organizing awareness- raising campaigns on the importance of girls’ education__________________9 III.5.5 Community based schools_____________________________________________________________9 III.5.6 Improving the school environment ______________________________________________________9 III.6 General Education in the AHDR for 2003 ________________________________________ 12 III.6.1. Education policies _________________________________________________________________13 III.6.2. Measuring quality of education _______________________________________________________14 III.7. Future Vision for General Education____________________________________________ 15 III.7.1 Steps to approve the strategy of basic education __________________________________________16 III.7.2 The relationship between the National Strategy for Basic Education and other approved developmental strategies ______________________________________________________________________________17 III.7.3 Education for all- The Fast Trajectory Initiative in Yemen, August 2002 _______________________18 III.7.4 Recommendations in general education _________________________________________________21 IV. ILLITERACY AND ADULT EDUCATION ____________________________________ 22 IV.1 Government Efforts to Combat Illiteracy_________________________________________ 22 IV.2 Non Governmental Efforts to Eradicate Illiteracy__________________________________ 23 IV.3 Cooperation with Local Associations, Ministries and Institutions _____________________ 23 IV.4 Future Vision for Illiteracy Eradication __________________________________________ 23 IV.4.1 National strategy for illiteracy eradication and adult education ______________________________23 IV.4.2 Illiteracy and poverty alleviation strategy _______________________________________________24 IV.4.3 Recommendations __________________________________________________________________24 V. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING __________________ 25 V.1. History______________________________________________________________________ 25 V.2. Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training ___________________________ 26 V.3. Patterns of Technical Education and Vocational Training ___________________________ 26 V.4. Prevalence of Technical Education and Vocational Training Centers and Institutes______ 26 ZEF Bildungsstudie 12/2004, Abteilung ZEFa 2 V.5. Continuous and Cooperative Training ___________________________________________ 27 V.6. Changing Role of Governments and Other Partners ________________________________ 28 V.7. Problems of Technical Education and Vocational Training __________________________ 28 V.7.1 Academic curricula and books _________________________________________________________28 V.7.2 Teachers of vocational and technical training _____________________________________________29 V.7.3 Problems in the Yemeni society ________________________________________________________29 V.7.4 Problems of technical and vocational training institutes and centers ___________________________29 VI.7.5 Funding of vocational training and technical education ____________________________________30 V.7.6 Status of Yemeni women in the area of vocational training and technical education _______________30 V.8. Future Vision and Recommendations ____________________________________________ 30 V.8.1 The future vision for technical and vocational education ____________________________________30 V.8.2 Future vision of role of vocational training in poverty alleviation______________________________31 V.8.3 Recommendations___________________________________________________________________32 VI. CURRENT SITUATION OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN YEMEN_____________ 33 VI.1 Quality of Graduates__________________________________________________________ 36 VI.2 Problems of Higher Education__________________________________________________ 37 VI.3 AHDR 2003 and Higher Education in Yemen _____________________________________ 38 VI.4 Strategic Vision: Cornerstones of Knowledge Society _______________________________ 39 VI.4.1.Management of higher education ______________________________________________ 39 VI.4.2. Higher education reform ____________________________________________________ 39 VI.4.3. Dissemination of higher education_____________________________________________ 39 VI.4.4. Enhance quality of higher education ___________________________________________________40 VI.5. Recommendations and suggestions______________________________________________ 40 VII. THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN DEVELOPMENT _________________ 41 VII.1. Problems Facing Private Sector _______________________________________________ 42 VII.2. Government and Private Sector _______________________________________________ 42 VIII. THE ROLE OF NGOS ___________________________________________________ 42 IX. ROLE OF DONORS IN PROGRAMS OF DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION_____ 43 IX.1 Policy Level _________________________________________________________________ 43 IX. 2 Projects ____________________________________________________________________ 44 X. VISION OF DECISION MAKERS OF BILATERAL COOPERATION PROGRAMS WITH DONOR COUNTRIES __________________________________________________ 45 XI. ASSESSMENT OF THE AUTHORS OF THE STUDY OF DONOR PROJECTS IN THE AREA OF EDUCATION _________________________________________________ 46 XII. ASSESSMENT OF GERMAN FUTURE ENGAGEMENT______________________ 47 XII.1 In the Area of Basic Education_________________________________________________ 47 XII.2 In the Area of Secondary Education:____________________________________________ 48 XII.3 In the Area of Vocational Training _____________________________________________ 49 XII.4 In the Area of Higher Education:_______________________________________________ 49 ZEF Bildungsstudie 12/2004, Abteilung ZEFa 3 XII.5 In the Area of Capacity Building: ______________________________________________ 50 XII.6 In the Area of Kinder-Gardens ________________________________________________ 50 XII.7 In the Area of Women’s Enhancement:__________________________________________ 50 ANNEX ____________________________________________________________________ 51 ZEF Bildungsstudie 12/2004, Abteilung ZEFa 4 I. INTRODUCTION The Republic of Yemen was established on 22 May 1990 following the declaration of unity between North and South Yemen. Since that date, the Yemeni government declared its development plans for the unified country covering economic, cultural, educational, health and social domains. I.1 Population The population of Yemen is 18,482.000 million according to 1994 census; 25% of the population lives in urban areas while 75% live in rural areas. Agriculture and fishing are the main population activities. Yemen has a high rate of population growth owing to high birth rate and the prevalence of illiteracy among male and female adults. 65% of the male children in the basic education age are in schools, while only 41% of the girls at the same age are enrolled in schools, which points to a gap between males and females on one hand and between rural and urban areas on the other. Girls’ enrollment in education in rural areas does not exceed 27%. I.2 Objectives of the Study ¾ Evaluating the educational needs in the primary, secondary and university/vocational training stages as outlined in the Arab Human Development Report (AHDR) with focus on the knowledge society ¾ Outlining areas of cooperation and appropriate mechanisms to be adopted by the German development policy in the area of education and building up the knowledge society in these countries. I.3. Scope and Methodology The study seeks to evaluate the educational needs in the following areas: ¾ -Basic and secondary education ¾ -Adult education and illiteracy eradication ¾ -Higher and vocational education and vocational training In Yemen, the educational stages mentioned above are the jurisdiction of different ministries and are therefore subject to different decision makers (basic and secondary education and illiteracy eradication are affiliated to the ministry