[11 September 2004] Report By Abdul-Hameed Al-Sheraby.

Yemen marked the international Day for eradicating illiteracy which meets the 8th of September . Tributes were paid to the efforts made by individuals, institutions and organizations in this domain.

Illiteracy is a serious challenge facing the development drive in Yemen due to its negative impacts economically , socially and culturally. The household budgetary survey’s findings , conducted in 1998, showed up that illiteracy average reached to some 49.5% out of which is 57% in the rural areas and 28% in the urban cities.

According to the report of the national committee of woman about the woman situation in Yemen in 1999, the rate of illiteracy among women ran up to 39.9% in the urban areas and 78.2 in the countryside.

The government- in cooperation with several donor countries and organizations- had launched a wide national campaign aiming at ridding the illiteracy problem over the period 1996-2020 and increasing the rate of females enrolment in the basic education to come up to 55% in 2005, 70% in 2010, and 90% in 2015.

Thereby, a number of national strategies were suggested to tackle the problem such as the national strategy for eradicating illiteracy, the national strategy of females learning and the strategy of developing the basic education.

The national committee of woman’s reports indicated that the average of females enrolment in the basic education in 2003 raised up to 51% in the urban regions and 59% in the rural ones, whereas the percentage of the females pupils in 2002 in the basic stage reached at 36.8% against 63.2% of the males pupils.

The females pupils in the secondary education in 2003 estimated at 40% in the urban areas and 20% in the countryside. The females students in the university education mad up 25% percent.

The minister of education Dr Abdul-Salam al-Gowfy, says that the ministry of education has adopted a number of measures aim to activate the national strategy of basic education and its executive scheme that includes reforming the education following the donor countries offered their assistance to develop and enlarge the basic education.

Dr Al-Gowfy, stated that the ministry is seeking to drain the illiteracy resources through dedicating this support for setting up additional schools , building capacities and improving the quality of education as well as creating a proper educational environment.

Al-Gowfy pointed out to the efforts made by the Illiteracy Eradicating System saying” the schooling year 2003-2004 had witnessed a large variety of activities in the educational process helped around (58526)of adult learners to pass the final exam of the first basic level and access to the second basic level. Meanwhile , about( 36372) learners had passed from the second basic into the follow up stage which 17313 learners had passed it.

The Female and basic training centers in the republic had performed well over the past period where they provided 8146 female trainee with the feminine skills and 9101 trainers received a basic skills training.

With reference to the training and qualifying of instructors and inspectors in the domain of adult learning and eradicating illiteracy, several training courses were conducted in the governorates od Ibb, Hadhramout, Aden, Hujja ,Taiz and Al-Maharah. Said Al-Gowfy.

With respect to the syllabuses , Dr Al-Gowfy said that new syllabuses have already been prepared for the two stages : the basic and follow up. Two textbooks, the fist part and the second part were composed and tested. The two books designed for the first basic level under the Heading “I’m Learning The Life”.

Four textbooks composed for the second basic stage entitled “ Pursuing Our Learning”. They had been tested and printed and scheduled to put in practice in the newly schooling year.
The follow up stage ‘s textbooks which consisted of four books had been composed and now they’re under print. They are due to be tried this year in order to be put in practice in the school year of 2005-2006.

Concerning to the buildings and facilities, the minister of education said that the Illiteracy Eradicating System had managed to achieve the repairing and maintenance of several old buildings in addition to erecting a number of new centers and administration headquarters in the governorates of Amran , Dhamar, Taiz, Ibb, Sadah and Abyan.

Thus, the restoration activities now are under way to repair a number of the illiteracy eradicating centers and basic and womanly training centers in the cities of Bajel, Zabeed and Bait Al-Faqeeh, in the governorate of Hodedha, al-Qae’da in the governorate of Ibb.

Dr Al-gowfy, highly appreciated the efforts made by the international organizations which are operating in our country and actively participating in this field.
He indicated that there are dozens of the projects are being carried out in the governorates of Amran ,Sadah, Al-Gowf, Marib, Hodedah, Al-Maharah and Abyan, where some of the international organizations such as Kear, Adra, GTZ and UNSEF are operating their activities in this area.
SABA