Yemen Education Law

The Yemen Education law is the main legal framework governing the education system in Yemen and was adopted in 1992, prior to subsequent amendments adopted in 1993 and 2003.

The law draws a large emphasis on the importance of education, listing education as a fundamental right for every child while outlining measures for enabling children to access safe education in accordance with their best needs/financial abilities. These provisions connect with the overarching goal of protecting children’s education in conflict. The law also explicitly mentions compulsory education until the end of basic stage (high school), which indirectly discourages the recruitment and use of children, as the majority of children are around 17-18 years old when they finish high school in Yemen.

The law is composed of 75 articles across 7 chapters categorized by the following themes:

1- Key terms and definitions (Chapter 1): Provides definitions of key terms such as higher/university education, vocational training, teachers, educational institutes, and non-formal education. Also outlines the purpose of the law, which aims to establish and unify the education system in the country under common approaches/laws.

2- Objectives and key principles (Chapter 2): Highlights the fundamentals of the education system in Yemen, the core of education as a right, and long-term developmental investment. Also discusses the establishment of a National Council for Education.

3- Education levels/degrees (Chapter 3): Outlines the different stages of education, including the purpose and main curriculum focus in each level in Yemen (pre-basic, basic, secondary, technical/vocation, and university education). Lists elements of integration with religious schools and special-needs education.

4- Higher education/research (Chapter 4): Outlines and details the operational framework for higher education institutes in Yemen. with a main focus on instrumental elements, including the importance of research and academic freedom, along with overseas scholarships and international cooperation.

5- Vocational training (Chapter 5): Comprehensively addresses and highlights the role of vocational training and its linkages to meet the needs of the labour market. Includes a detailed description of the roles and shared responsibility of both the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of education.

6- Financing education (Chapter 6): Outlines the financial outlets to finance education in Yemen in accordance with the type of education institute (e.g., public/private schools/universities), as well as regulating and unifying tuition fees across institutions.

7- Rights and regulations (Chapter 7): Outlines the key rights of education staff across different stages/phases of educational development, and in case of integration/introduction to a new education system or curriculum development.

Challenges in implementation of this law have been numerous. Even prior to the 2015 conflict, over 70% of the population in Yemen lived in rural areas, making access to basic infrastructure services, such as health care, an entrenched challenge in the country. Yemen also has a high illiteracy rate, which is the highest in the region. Armed conflict in the country has directly impacted stability and displacement and has fueled a shifting in priorities from education to safety and safety and livelihoods. These challenges have been coupled with the destruction of schools during armed conflict, and scarcity of resources allocated to education.^[1]

^[1] See, for example, “Millions of Yemenis will bear the brunt of attacks on Yemen’s critical civilian infrastructure,” Norwegian Refugee Council, December 31, 2024, https://www.nrc.no/news/2024/december/millions-of-yemenis-will-bear-the-brunt-of-attacks-on-yemens-critical-civilian-infrastructure/.