Geneva – On the occasion of International Day of Education, SAM for Rights and Liberties issued a statement emphasizing the devastating collapse of Yemen’s education sector, caused by over a decade of ongoing conflict. The organization pointed out that the Ansar Allah group (the Houthis), which controls the capital Sana’a and several Yemeni provinces, has committed severe violations against teachers, students, and educational institutions. These violations have resulted in the near-total collapse of the educational system in Yemen, necessitating an immediate halt to such abuses by all parties to the conflict and the neutralization of education from political and military disputes.
At a time when the world celebrates International Day of Education under the theme, "Artificial Intelligence and Education: Empowering Human Potential in an Automated World," SAM sheds light on the stark contrast between this global vision and the reality of education in Yemen. While the world focuses on integrating AI technologies into education, in Yemen, this seems like a luxury that ignores the dire challenges facing the education sector. Instead of pursuing modern technological advancements, the Houthi group has banned the use of social media platforms like WhatsApp in schools, claiming to combat an alleged "soft war" targeting students through these platforms. The group has emphasized a return to traditional teaching methods and threatened strict legal action against schools that violate this ban. This highlights the vast disparity between the state of education in Yemen and the rest of the world.
SAM reported that teachers in Houthi-controlled areas face egregious violations, with reports from human rights organizations and the Yemeni Teachers Union documenting the hardships endured by educators. The group has deliberately deprived teachers of their salaries, in blatant violation of local laws and international conventions. This has exacerbated their suffering, forcing many to seek alternative sources of income or flee their homes.
Reports indicate that thousands of teachers cannot meet their basic needs due to unpaid wages. In some areas, over 70% of teachers have gone months or even years without receiving their salaries. This prolonged non-payment has led to a mass exodus of qualified educators from the teaching profession, resulting in a severe shortage of skilled teachers.
SAM also highlighted hundreds of cases where teachers were arrested for expressing political opinions or participating in protests demanding better working conditions. In some instances, teachers were forcibly disappeared, with no information about their whereabouts or fate. Statistics show that over 2,000 teachers have been detained in Houthi prisons in recent years.
Teachers have faced arbitrary arrests, threats, forced disappearances, and brutal torture in unmonitored detention centers for using modern educational methods promoted by UNICEF. These violations have forced over 60% of educators to leave their jobs and seek work in other fields to support their families.
A report titled "The Hidden Crime" published by the Yemeni Teachers Union in May 2022 documented the killing of 1,582 education workers by the Houthi armed group between October 2014 and December 2021. Among these victims, 21 teachers were assassinated starting in 2015, with 12 killed in Houthi-controlled areas. The report also recorded 22 cases of teachers dying under torture in Houthi prisons.
A Yemeni Teachers Union monitoring report documented 49,000 violations committed by the Houthi militia against the education sector and its workers between October 24, 2014, and December 30, 2021. These violations include the dismissal of more than 20,000 educators and teachers of both genders, replacing them with sectarian loyalists, and cutting off salaries for over 160,000 teachers, who continue to work without pay. Those who remain have been forced to attend sectarian indoctrination sessions promoting extremist ideologies, further deteriorating the quality of education and imposing the group’s agenda on the educational process.
SAM reported that tens of thousands of school-age children in Yemen have been forcibly recruited or lured into joining armed militias. Many have been forced to abandon their education to attend training camps, where they are exploited as soldiers or logistical support on battlefronts. According to UNICEF, the number of child recruits increased fivefold in 2015 compared to the previous year.
The Houthi group, in particular, systematically targets schoolchildren, luring them with false promises of salaries or weapons and manipulating their emotions through religious lessons and fiery speeches. Families struggling with poverty are sometimes coerced into sending their children to fight. In some cases, children are abducted from schools and taken to training camps, where they are taught to use weapons, plant landmines, and participate in combat. This has resulted in the death and injury of thousands of children.
In addition to recruitment, students are subjected to systematic brainwashing that instills extremist or sectarian ideologies. Schools have been transformed into hubs for indoctrinating children with political and religious propaganda, robbing them of a proper education and their innocence.
A previous SAM’s report confirmed that the Houthi group recruited boys as young as seven from schools, impoverished areas, and detention centers through religious indoctrination, financial incentives, or abduction. These children were then sent to fight, resulting in many deaths or injuries. The Yemeni Teachers Union documented the recruitment of 17,350 schoolchildren under the age of 18 by the Houthis between 2014 and May 2021.
According to a March 2024 report by Save the Children, Yemen is facing an unprecedented education crisis after nine years of conflict. The report states that two in five children—equivalent to 4.5 million—are out of school. Monthly school fees and the cost of textbooks are among the main barriers to education, with 20% of families unable to afford them. Additionally, 44% of surveyed caregivers and children cited the need to support family income as a significant reason for school dropouts.
SAM warned that the politicization and sectarianization of education are among the most dangerous challenges facing the education sector in Houthi-controlled areas. The group has exploited school curricula and facilities to spread its sectarian and political agendas. The Houthis have made numerous changes to educational materials, particularly in Islamic Studies, Arabic, National Education, and Social Studies, embedding their ideology of "Imamate entitlement" to leadership, wealth, and submission to their authority.
The Yemeni Teachers Union reported that in 2022 alone, the Houthis made at least 200 changes to the curricula for primary and middle schools. Between 2020 and 2021, they introduced 187 additional amendments, further distorting the educational content in their areas of control.
Beyond curriculum changes, Houthi groups have used schools as platforms for sectarian and political propaganda, recruiting students for pro-Houthi events. A European Parliament report highlighted that the Houthis use schools and educational facilities to indoctrinate children with their ideology, encouraging them to join the conflict.
Educational infrastructure in Yemen has not been spared from direct and indirect attacks. Schools have been targeted by airstrikes and artillery shelling, with UN reports indicating that over 3,000 schools have been completely or partially destroyed in the past decade. In some cases, schools were attacked during class hours, causing hundreds of student and teacher casualties.
Many schools have been occupied by armed groups, particularly the Houthis, and converted into military barracks or weapons depots, depriving thousands of children of their right to education and making these schools legitimate targets for military operations.
According to Save the Children, 256 schools were destroyed, and 1,520 others were damaged between 2015 and 2019. Armed groups occupied 23 schools. Between 2020 and 2023, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack documented 482 attacks on Yemen’s education sector, including 83 on schools and 41 on higher education institutions. These attacks injured, killed, arrested, or harmed 330 students and teachers.
SAM emphasized that the actions of conflict parties against Yemen’s education sector are blatant violations of domestic and international laws, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Geneva Conventions. SAM called for the immediate cessation of all violations, the release of detained teachers, and the protection of educational institutions and students.
The organization urged the international community to pressure the Houthis to stop child recruitment, rebuild damaged schools, and ensure safe and inclusive education for all Yemeni children. SAM also recommended integrating educational recovery into transitional justice strategies and promoting inclusive curricula that emphasize democracy and human rights.