US embassy cable - 03SANAA1368

UNCLAS SANAA 001368 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/EPA: EROMANOWSKI, NEA/EPA: CBOURGEOIS, NEA/PPD: 
DMACINNES, NEA/PPD: ACASPER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OEXC, SCUL 
SUBJECT: MEPI - ARABIC BOOK TRANSLATION PROGRAM, AMEMBASSY 
SANAA PARTICIPATION 
 
REF: STATE 145089 
 
1. Post requests inclusion in the Arabic Book Translation 
Program. 
 
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Answers to Questions 
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2.  PAO, John Balian, recently spoke with officials from the 
Ministry of Education regarding the proposed project. 
 
3.  MOE officials were enthusiastic about the program and 
promised cooperation with Amembassy Sanaa in planning and 
implementation of the project. 
 
4.  Post will work with appropriate host government officials 
so that schools are ready to participate in the initial pilot 
project to be launched in Fall 2003. 
 
5.  Host country is receptive to participating in both the 
primary school and (future) upper grade programs. 
 
6.  Post believes that the classroom library set-up will be 
effective. 
 
7.  Although the MOE does not have sufficient funds to offer 
financial buy-in to the project, MOE is fully prepared to 
work with Amembassy Sanaa in school selection and other forms 
of cooperation necessary to make the project successful. 
 
8.  Post does not currently know the number of schools that 
could be impacted by the initial roll-out of the program but 
due to the desperate need of additional educational/reading 
materials in the country's school system, the future impact 
of the program could be impressive. 
 
9.  There is no local facility that can be used for printing 
of the books. 
 
10. Post would work with media outlets in Yemen, in 
cooperation with the ROYG to insure wide-spread media 
coverage in all of the areas where the program is 
implemented. 
 
11. The USG's profile in the roll-out of the program should 
be high once books are actually donated to schools and 
classroom libraries are established. 
 
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Education in Yemen 
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12. Basic education and literacy is a fundamental component 
of Post's MEPI strategy as there are many areas of education 
that need to be addressed in Yemen. Only half of all Yemeni 
children aged 6 to 11 enroll in schools, the literacy rate, 
especially in the rural areas, is as high as 91 percent for 
married women, and teachers often have minimum 
qualifications.  The 2000/1 Education Survey estimated that 
only 60 percent of teachers have just basic education, or at 
most, one to two years of secondary school. 
 
13. Education has not historically been considered essential 
among many Yemenis. However, the Yemeni Government is working 
to improve the educational system.  The ROYG Poverty 
Reduction Strategy Paper states that education is a key 
factor in creating sustainable economic and social 
development.  The education strategy in Yemen focuses on 
improving the quality of education, improving the management 
of the educational system, giving priority to basic education 
and focusing on girls' education. 
 
14. The Arabic Book Translation Program will work to help the 
ROYG meet these objectives and will help meet some of the 
education needs of the country, especially in rural areas 
where illiteracy is most prevalent. 
 
 
MISENHEIMER