Armies of Liberation

On the average half of kids even have access to a school in walking distance, and for girls that access is even more limited by the shortage of female teachers. (Related issues include corruption in schools, the withholding of teachers pay, punative teacher transfers, and the failure to fully implement the 2005 Wages Strategy, all of which will become more severe as the oil money runs out.) The original press release and contact info from Seyaj is below the fold and I’ll add the raw data:

HODEIDAH, 19 November 2009 (IRIN) – Nearly half of children in rural areas of the western Yemeni governorate of Hodeidah, have no access to basic education, according to a new report by the Seyaj Organization for Childhood Protection (SOCP) and the Yemen News Agency.

A survey was conducted on a random sample of 3,249 boys and girls from 1,542 families in the districts of Lihyah, Zahrah and Beit al-Faqih, said Fahd al-Sabri, lead author of the report.

The survey results, announced on 18 November, indicate that 45 percent of boys and 52 percent of girls in the 6-15 age group have no access to basic education – for several reasons, including vulnerability of their families, lack of schools and teachers, or schools being far away from their homes, al-Sabri told IRIN.

In two villages (each having an average of 110 children), the enrolment rate was zero, he said, adding: “96 percent of mothers and 65 percent of fathers in surveyed families [there] cannot read and write.”

According to the government’s Central Statistical Organization, 1.5 million of Hodeida’s 2.4 million people live in rural areas.

Press report

Seyaj Organization for childhood protection publishes the results of the latest conducted field study on the (children enrolment in basic education and their parents’ attitudes in Hudaidah Governorate- Yemen).
The Organization carried out the study under the campaign (Education is the hope for the future) financed by the International Organization CHF.
The study has revealed that nearly half of children in rural areas are not enrolled in basic education and the enrollment of children in some villages is up to zero or close to it.
The results of the study on (3249) boys and girls aged 6-15 years, from 1542 families has showed that more than 57% of the obstructions of education is directly related to the location of educational place in terms of dimension, low efficiency and other reasons related to educational facilities as (lack of school buildings, equipments, teaching aids and sufficiency of the teachers).
From the study which was carried out in (Alluhaih, Azuhrah and Beit al-Faqih) during the period (August-October 2009), we discovered that one of the main reasons of education denial is gender related, where a female can not have the same access to education opportunity as it is for males.
The financial situation and its implications has reached 22% of the reasons hindering the education, where parents are unable to meet the education expenses and use their children for labor to secure the life standard for the family.
The study which was carried out by the Organization and the cooperation with the Yemeni news agency Saba and officials of the local authority in the targeted districts, has revealed that 96% of mothers are illiterate, while the percentage of illiterate fathers is 65%.
The study is the second after completed a field study by the organization at the end of 2008 on (The psychological and behavioral effects of war on Sa’da’s children).

Issued by Seyaj Organization for childhood protection
Sana’a, Yemen, 15 November 2009

منظمة سياج لحماية الطفولة- اليمن
SEYAJ Organization for Childhood Protecting
Yemen-Sana’a- New University Sq.
Phone:009671228184
Fax:009671228145
Mobile:00967712020332
Hotline:009671257505
PO Box:5642
E-mail: info@seyaj.org
Website: www.seyaj.org

Here we go, the formatting is mess up but I want to record it here as well as as a document:

Republic of Yemen

Protection SEYAJ Organization for Childhood

Summary of

The study Results of Children Basic Education Enrolment Rate and their parents’ attitude

I want to learn))

Hudaidah Governorate

2009

Prepared and analyzed by

Dr. Fahd Mahmoud Al-Sabree

Introduction:

Child’s right to education is one of the extremely important and fundamental rights, for its impact in realizing other human rights and the value of it’s effect on developing and prosperity to the society socially and economically in one hand which will reflect on the state on the other hand.

It also contributes in developing children capabilities and preparing them for a future role in serving their own countries.

This right has been provided by most if not all child (human) relevant legislations around the world, with the importance of achieving equal opportunities between children with different genders, normal and children with disabilities, children with special needs, poor children or children from wealthy families.

The illiteracy in Yemen is among the highest in the world, this made a direct impact on health, economy, development and lifestyle over all.

Therefore, it is crucial and important for the state, civil and international social organizations to push the children to education; this will insure reduction of the next generation illiteracy, school dropout and build a true successful future development.

Seyaj for childhood protection with cooperation and support from the American CHF, the leadership of Hudaidah governorate and other officials and representatives of the alleged Directorates had targeted the implementation of a two-part case study.

The first part is doing a survey as a testing stage about school attending children and children who dropout of schools within the age category

6 – 15 years in three of Hudaidah targeted areas.

The other part of the survey is to research and look for the reasons behind children leaving schools and knowing the parents attitude and opinion about the education of their children.

Objectives:

Determinate the size and the reasons led children not to join the basic education aged (6-15 years).
Contribute to find a reliable scientific database about the problem and determine the required interventions that will enable children to their right to education.
Draw the attention of children parents, local authorities and influential figures of the governorate and targeted directorates, about the importance and obligatory of education as a fundamental right for every child.
Aim to direct officials’ interests towards education by finding practical solutions to the impeding problems to child’s education right.

Geographical area of the survey:

In this study, we targeted 30 villages in 3 directorates of Hudaidah governorate (Bait Al-Faqih, Alluhaiah, and Alzuhrah), 10 villages from each directorate.

General data

- The number of targeted directorates is three (Bait Al-Faqih, Alluhaih, and AL-Zuhrah)

– The number of villages is 29

Surveyed families are 1542 in 30 villages.

Surveyed children are 3249

Summary of

Survey results and indicators of children enrolment rate

First: General data and indicators for all surveyed villages and directorates

Age group 6-10
total Female Male Index
977 426 551 Children enrolled
1037 476 561 Children not enrolled
2014 902 1112 The total

Table 1shows enrolled children aged 6-10 years by their gender.

Female Male Index
53% 49.5% registered
47% 50.5% not registered
45% 55% gender percentage for the same age

Table2 shows enrollment rate percentage for children aged 6-10 years by their gender.

Percentage Index
51% Both sex enrolled children aged 6-10 percentage
49% Both sex not enrolled children Aged 6-10 percentage

Table 3 shows the enrolment rate and the dropout rate for both sexes in the same age group.

Age group 11-15
Overall females males Index
163 33 130 Enrolled
225 128 97 Not enrolled
388 161 227 total

Table 4 shows enrolled and not enrolled children aged 11-15.

Female Male Index
49% 63% Enrolled
59% 37% not enrolled
40% 60% gender percentage for the same age

Table 5 shows enrollment rate percentage for children aged 11-15 years by their gender.

Percentage Index
56% The Percentage of Both sex enrolled children Aged 11-15.
44% The Percentage of both sex not enrolled children Aged 11-15.

Table 6 shows the enrolment rate and the dropout rate for both sexes in the same age group.

Data of all targeted children aged 6-15.

Age group 6-15
Overall females males Index
1686 669 1017 Enrolled
1563 729 834 Not enrolled
2249 1398 1851 total

Table7 shows enrolled and not enrolled children aged 6-15 years by their gender.

Female Male Index
48% 55% Enrolled
52% 45% Not enrolled
43% 57% Gender percentage for the same age

Table 8 shows enrolled and not enrolled children percentage aged 6-15 years by their gender.

Percentage Index
52% Percentage of Both sex enrolled children Aged 6-15.
48% Percentage of both sex not enrolled children Aged 6-15.

Table 9 shows the enrolment rate and the dropout rate for both sexes in the same age group.

Summary of

Results and indicators of the surveyed sample on parents’ trends and attitude towards education and the reasons behind dropping out of schools

The sample contained 126 families selected according to the scientific principals.

Theses families represent all villages in the three directorates and the interviewed individuals were 126 households.

The interviews’ results and the sample’s data were as follow:

First: data about the sample’s publics

females Males Education level
1% 3% Post secondary education
0% 8% Secondary A. level
0% 6% Secondary level
0% 6% Primary
3% 12% Read and write
96% 65% Illiterate

Table 10 shows parents’ education level

Second: the reasons, which prevented children enrolment according to the sample results:

Percentage %
The reasons
No
%22 Financial situation 1
%5 Fears for children 2
%25 No school available 3
%3 Bad treatment in schools 4
%22 The school far away from accommodation 5
%3 No benefits of school 6
%5 Because she is a girl 7
%11 Helps me at work 8
%4 The child doesn’t wan to go school 9

Table 11 shows different reasons by parents why their children not attending schools.

Other reasons given by parents about the reasons behind children not go to schools.

1. Girls have to go to look after cheeps in order to allow boys to go to school.

2. There are no female teachers for this reason; girls do not attend school.

These causes can be addressed and overcome by proper programs and interventions. Most of the causes are simple and can be solved easily, for example the highest reasons percentage for children no attending schools was unavailability of schools 25% add to that 22% school distance and the parents fears about their children the way to and from schools 5%.

This actually means over 50% 0f the reasons is about the location, distance, the school building itself and the stuff quality. There are also gender reasons, where females do not have the same opportunity for education as males.

The financial aspect was 22% of the reasons where parents avoid paying education expenses and using their children for labor, where we should look at this closely; may be parents encourage children labor.

The parents’ answers to the question if they have ever heard about the compulsory and free basic education law were:

Percentage The answer
10% Yes
90% No

Table 12 shows parents’ answers

The sample showed also the parents’ answers for the open question; what do you need to make your child attending school?

The answers were as follow:

1. Building schools for girls.

2. Building schools near populated areas.

3. Improving the existing schools because they are made from haystacks.

4. Improve their financial situation.

5. Excuse from school expenses.

6. Furnishing schools properly

7. Provide a safe transportation for children.

8. Supply of School requirements for children (books, notebooks, pens ….).

The sample results also showed that the average family monthly wages is 15 thousands Yemeni Reyals.

Parents answers; on the question about their opinion on their children education

As follow:

Percentage Answers
77% Important
14% Not important
9% Useless

Table13 parent’s answers

Other answers were:

Learn how to read and write

All asked in the sample about children right to education; 100% answered yes.

The sample’s results also showed parents’ answers to the question of the benefits of education.

The answers were as follow:

percentage The answers No.
17% Big income 1
11% More work opportunities 2
53% Respect from people 3
14% No benefits from education 4
5% I don’t know 5

Table 14 shows parent opinion on the benefits of education

The sample’s results also showed children answer to the question; if they like to go to school, the answers were as follow:

percentage The answers
87% Yes
13% No

Table 15 shows children answers