Work begins on public education referential paper
 

A workshop on preparing the Referential Paper on General Education concerning population issues began on Saturday, October 7 at the Center for Research and Development in Sana’a. During five days, 19 researchers and professors plan to discuss the details of preparing the paper. The final version of the document is planned to be shared with donors and the Ministry of Education before being implemented next year.

In the opening session, Professor Saleh Al-Sofi, director of center, spoke about the importance of the workshop as a forum for publicizing the population issue and the role played by the center in raising awareness about the issue. The five-day workshop is a result of the center’s outreach program and is concerned exclusively with the preparation of the referential paper. Al-Sofi noted that the paper will serve as the foundation of guidance material given to teachers.

Al-Sofi observed that the center’s new plan will take in to account engagements of the Yemeni government, as well as concerns of donors that have supported Yemeni society on the population issue from the education perspective. He expressed that the Ministry of Education views the center’s work as satisfactory and he noted the positive cooperation between the center and United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA).

Hans Obdeijn, the UNFPA Representative in Yemen, expressed his honor at attending the workshop. He noted the significance of the workshop, and how it might help in shaping the future of Yemen.

On behalf of UN system in Yemen, Obdeijn stressed the need for support of the project that targets an important stratum of Yemeni society: students. Teachers play a critical role in spreading to society awareness of population issues, Obdeijn said.

Before the opening session, Obdeijn met with Al-Sofi who briefed him about the work of the center and activities involving population issue awareness implemented by it since the Ministry of Education began work with center.