School Doors: Bringing out-of-school children back into the classroom in Yemen

The program focuses on three governorates: Al Dhale’e, Sana’a, and Hodeidah. The program period spans from August 15, 2018, to August 14, 2021. Initial assessments indicate that up to 80% of schools in southern governorates are closed due to ongoing strikes, with dialogue between the Ministry of Education and the teachers' union ongoing to reach a solution. The IRC is currently in the inception phase of project implementation, which includes program planning, staff recruitment, and memorandum of understanding development with relevant stakeholders. The IRC is working to expand access to safe, quality education for out-of-school children aged 6-14 in the target governorates. Preparations are underway to consult with stakeholders in the Ministry of Education and local authorities to identify optimal ways to implement the program and target schools and teachers for support. The IRC's Education Coordinator has traveled to Al Dhale’e to meet with Ministry of Education representatives. The program has several key results, including expanding access to safe, quality education, training and supporting teachers, providing children with effective psychosocial support, and ensuring and strengthening education service delivery. The IRC has experienced a shortage in expertise in the field of education in Yemen, which has made it difficult to identify well-qualified staff for key roles. However, the IRC has managed to hire a well-qualified Yemeni Education Coordinator and is reaching out to the Education cluster and other implementing partners for support in filling other key positions. The program has selected key indicators to report on a monthly basis, including attendance rates in program-supported primary schools and community-based learning spaces, teacher attendance rates, and the percentage of teachers successfully completing training. However, the IRC is still in the inception phase of the project, and the indicator table will become functional once activities commence.