At the beginning of March 2013, the representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sanaa warned that more than 2 million children between the ages of 6 and 9 were not attending school. Months before that, UNICEF’s executive director had said that 60% of Yemeni children suffered from stunted growth and dwarfism.

Yemen is not a good place to be a child. This is not only because life in general is difficult but also because schools are unable to adapt and serve as nurturing environments attractive to students. This is one of the reasons why fewer students are enrolling in school. Additional reasons are the poor economic circumstances many citizens face and because fewer people recognize the importance of education.

Out of 8 million Yemeni children of school age, only about 6 million are enrolled in school. The dropout rate before eighth grade is more than 40% for girls and more than 25% for boys.

It is no longer surprising to see students dressed in school uniforms in Internet cafes and shops during school hours. Some Internet cafes are posting notices with such messages as “No entry to the cafe for anyone wearing a school uniform.” This step was taken following criticism and complaints by politicians and families that students were going to these cafes instead of heading to school. The notices, however, are nothing more than a way to shift responsibility. Looking at who visits an Internet cafe in the morning would reveal the extent of the chaos in the schools and the lack of social responsibility toward children.