Teachers’ Syndicate: 3 million Children Out of School and 170,000 Teachers Without Salaries
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Yemeni Teachers’ Syndicate revealed in a statement issued on the occasion of International Day of Education that approximately 3 million children are now out of school, while the suspension of salaries continues for more than 170,000 teachers for nearly a decade.
The statement noted that approximately 2,900 schools are out of service after being destroyed or converted into military barracks and weapons depots by the Houthi group.
The Syndicate warned of the danger of transforming the educational process in Houthi-controlled areas into a tool for sectarianism and the militarization of children. It emphasized that millions of students are threatened with the loss of education and forced recruitment amidst the “erosion” of curricula and the cutting of salaries.
The statement asserted that the Houthi group has turned summer centers into closed military camps where children are trained to use weapons and indoctrinated with inflammatory ideologies before being pushed to the front lines of combat.
The Syndicate described the militarization of education as a crime targeting childhood and the future of society. It also pointed out that teachers are subjected to systematic policies of starvation and humiliation, despite the levies collected under the guise of “supporting education.” According to the statement, these policies aim to replace professional educators with elements loyal to the Houthi group to implement sectarian agendas within schools.
The Syndicate concluded its statement by warning against the distortion of school curricula and the falsification of national identity, calling on the international community to classify curriculum manipulation as a crime against humanity, to exert pressure to halt the militarization of schools, ensure the payment of teachers’ salaries, and support alternative educational options that preserve the national curriculum.
