The Yemeni Ministry of Education is facing a major challenge in printing textbooks due to a severe lack of funding, according to Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Ali Al-Abab.

Speaking to Bran Press on Monday, August 5, 2024, Al-Abab revealed that the ministry only receives around 2 billion riyals out of a 28 billion riyal budget allocated for the General Book Foundation. This shortfall has hampered the printing of textbooks for years.

"We have managed to print some books for the first three grades of primary school," Al-Abab said, expressing hope that the government will provide sufficient funding to ensure all students across the country have access to textbooks, the most basic learning tool.

He commended the local authorities in Marib for their significant support of education in the governorate. "They are working on securing contracts, building schools, and providing essential supplies like blackboards and textbooks," Al-Abab stated.

He highlighted that Marib's local authorities have been printing textbooks for the past four years at their own expense, emphasizing the governorate's commitment to education.

"The cost of printing textbooks in Marib reaches $1.7 million," Al-Abab revealed, adding that the printed books are only for schools in the governorate. "We print them one year and leave them for another year to utilize the remaining books."

This year, the ministry has expanded the printing effort to include literacy books and books for Quranic schools alongside regular textbooks.

Al-Abab visited the printing presses working on the textbooks to ensure the process is running smoothly and efficiently ahead of the new academic year. He noted minor issues with the printing, specifically regarding the new logo adopted for this year, the Throne of Bilqis.

"We found that the logo, which we agreed should be discreetly placed on all pages of the textbook, is somewhat prominent," he said. "We are working with the printing press management to make it less noticeable, as per the agreement."

Earlier in the day, the Deputy Minister of Education inspected the printing of textbooks funded by the Marib local authorities, totaling 2,235,000 books for the 2024-2025 academic year.

According to a statement from the Marib education media, which Bran Press received a copy of, Dr. Al-Abab expressed some observations regarding the printing process, emphasizing the need for speed and accuracy in completion.