| Submit your comments on this article |
| East/Subsaharan Africa |
| Yemeni schools count on the future |
| 2003-01-08 |
| Yemeni schools are going through an education of their own -- teaching more maths and science, and less religion. The government is taking back control of about 1,300 schools it has financed, but which have been run by Islamic groups. Yemeni Education Minister Dr. Fadhel Abu Ghanim told CNN the government had made the changes "to make sure religion is not used for political ends." One such school which has been transformed is Sanaa's college. Yemeni officials say the school adopted a religious doctrine that encouraged extremism. The government says more than 3,500 students used to spend their days and nights at the college. They were taught, fed and put to bed -- all under the supervision of the biggest Islamic party in Yemen. Authorities closed down the school, and re-opened it as the new headquarters for the education ministry. The graffiti though is still on the wall, telling students the love for Jihad and the love for life cannot be combined. But that is a different message from the one the education ministry wants to send. "Islam is the religion of tolerance and that is still being taught at the schools," the minister said. But schools have not been the only focus of Yemeni officials. For the last two years, the Yemeni government has been stepping up police and military efforts to fight terrorism. But officials say security measures alone are not enough. Abu Bakr Al-Qurabi Yemeni Foreign Minister said: "I think combating terrorism involves a comprehensive approach. We have to deal with a lot of issues -- political, social, tribal and education. "If we direct our resources towards security this is actually at the cost of education and health services. All these are breeding grounds for extremism." Yemen is a poor country with limited resources. More than half of the population is illiterate. And the Yemeni government wants help from the U.S. not only to fight terrorism, but to help develop the country -- particularly education. Parents in Yemen pay up to $400 a year for their children to attend private schools -- more than four times the average salary. As a result most Yemeni children attend very different schools. At Al-Jozah school, a year's tuition costs less than $1. But a teacher there said this year children had received additional learning tools, and new text books with pictures. "My students can learn much better than when I only use the blackboard," he says. More than 500 new schools were built this year, but Yemen has a long way to go to be able to provide its new generation with a good education, and the government says, a direction away from extremism. Bravo! |
| Posted by:Steve |