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Five years ago, in 2019, school staff began facing new forms of pressure and repression.
At the start of every school year, a mandatory introductory meeting is held, attended by someone who introduces themselves as the “supervisor.”
At school, this supervisor enforces their own rules or those dictated to them. They threaten to photograph the official attendance register daily, meaning everyone must attend daily, sign the register, and cannot use “I forgot to sign” as an excuse.
This supervisor roams the premises, entering classrooms unannounced—even those where girls are being taught—without asking for permission.
They grant themselves the authority to punish any teacher whenever they wish, crossing out a teacher’s name from the attendance register without consulting or informing the school principal.
Sometimes, they assign teachers tasks unrelated to their professional duties or the educational process, such as organizing events and activities of the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group.
In Abs District, Hajjah Governorate, the educational supervisor, Mohamed Mosed, essentially controls all aspects of educational administration alongside the head of education. He determines the schedule of activities and specifies the schools and dates for each event, which cannot take place without his presence. Students are made to stand in the morning assembly under the scorching sun, waiting for him to arrive, take photographs, and deliver his speech.
Protests are suddenly organized on roads, initiated by calls from the general educational supervisor to the school-based supervisor.
Everyone is caught off guard when he enters classrooms unexpectedly, pulling students out to the schoolyard without consulting teachers or the principal. He orders everyone to leave their studies, head to the schoolyard, or march to a designated location for the protest. This unfolds in full view of helpless parents who watch their children walk under the blazing sun along the main roads, which remain blocked for hours.
While students and teachers endure the heat, supervisors gather in the nearest shaded area, instructing school principals and teachers to organize the students into neat lines.
The role of the educational supervisor extends beyond these actions to self-assigned tasks, as no one questions or challenges their authority. These include collecting levies and demanding money from students under the pretext of organizing central events, whether within the school or as part of larger activities they refer to as central celebrations. These include occasions like the Prophet’s birthday or the September 21 anniversary.
In addition to tuition fees and the community contributions imposed on students for teachers and exam fees, these levies fund such events. Envelopes are distributed to students to collect donations for Palestine or for an ill supervisor, with the stipulation that the envelopes must not be sealed.
We must also not forget the physical punishment, violent beatings, and expulsions of students by supervisors, often without any justification.
Perhaps new roles will emerge for the educational supervisors affiliated with the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group in schools—supervisors who have risen above everyone else despite most of them holding only basic certificates, lacking administrative skills, and having no background in education. Yet, they may one day become the school principals themselves.
One Day
There was a time when Yemeni teachers worked peacefully in schools. They functioned as a family within the school, despite challenges like delayed or insufficient salaries. They felt stable and performed their duties to the fullest. Regular salaries allowed them to borrow from merchants and vendors. In cases of absence or illness, a colleague would cover for another.
The school principal collaborated with everyone, fostering a spirit of solidarity within the school environment. Teachers stood by their colleagues in times of illness or personal tragedy.
Then came the war in 2015, turning their lives upside down. Now they suffer from unpaid salaries, working without pay under compulsion to preserve their job grades.
Amid increasing interference and encroachments on the educational institution, Mwatana renews its call for the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group to neutralize the education sector, cease using schools and educational facilities, vacate those still being used, and ensure students have access to comprehensive education in a safe environment.
