Privatization of higher education

Published on 30 April 2012 in Opinion Aref Abdullah Al-Selmi (author). All of us knows the importance of higher education and its necessity in a world that recognizes only those with higher education degrees. In Yemen, getting a bachelor degree is very difficult as a result of corruption in the higher education sector. This corruption changed the public education system into a private one by establishing educational systems aimed towards profitability. In order to get a bachelor degree, Yemeni students – especially those with low marks at high school – have to give in to the reality and enroll in these private systems, because higher education is the gateway for a better future.
According to Article no.54 of Yemen’s Constitution, “The state guarantees the right of education for all citizens.” But unfortunately in 2004, the “parallel” Moazi and personal expense systems arose in public Yemeni universities. According to this system a student has to pay a large amount of money, starting from US 200 up to US 2,500 depending on the specialization. If you are studying medicine or engineering, you will pay a higher amount than if you are studying human sciences. If we calculate the total amount received from the students at Sana’a university alone, it amounts to between YR 400 million and YR 2 billion annually.
These systems must be cancelled as soon as possible because they are unfair, blocks the future of poor students, increases the number of illiterate and unemployed youth in the society, and above all is the main source of financial corruption in universities.
I don’t think that the Moazi and the personal expense systems serve the nation or students. More they are torturing the students by the amount of money they have to pay. Instead of concentrating on their studies, students have to work to gain the money to be able to continue their education.
The sons of officials always study abroad even if they got low marks at high school. So what’s the difference between those students and those who are poor? According to the constitution all students have the right to free education, and the priority is for the those who want to continue their education and can contribute to their homeland’s development.
What a shame will be on the government if the privatization of education continues and is not cancelled. The government has to take into consideration that the youth made their revolution in order to get rid of corruption of which the Moazi system is a part.
The students – at all the public Yemeni universities – will not stop their continuous demonstrations to achieve their demands, which are the canceling of the Moazi and personal expense systems, the transfer of the students under those systems to the general system, extending the purchasing power of the universities, and publication of the financial amounts that were received from students to be used for the purchasing of labs, books etc. for the universities.
If the government cannot cancel these unfair systems, the students have to overthrow the regime again!