Houthi Hijri Calendar Decision Sparks Educational Concerns in Yemen

The Houthi administration's decision to commence the new academic year based on the Hijri calendar has ignited widespread criticism among educational circles, amid warnings of the decision's repercussions on the stability of the educational process and the future academic calendar.

The announcement, which sets the start of the new academic year for June 20, has revived the debate surrounding the adoption of the Hijri calendar as a reference for determining school terms, holidays, and examinations, due to the time difference between the lunar and solar calendars.

Educators argue that linking the academic year to the Hijri calendar will advance the start of the school year by approximately ten to eleven days each year compared to the Gregorian calendar. This continuous shift will complicate long-term planning for families and educational institutions.

Educational specialists emphasize that a stable academic calendar is fundamental to ensuring the continuity of the educational process. Frequent changes in school start dates, examination schedules, and holidays can impose additional challenges on school administrations, teaching staff, students, and parents.

A significant concern arising from the decision is the potential for the academic season to gradually shift into the summer months in the coming years, a consequence of the annual regression in the start date dictated by the Hijri calendar. Educators warn that rising temperatures in several Yemeni governorates could negatively impact the learning environment and increase student absenteeism, particularly in schools already struggling with inadequate infrastructure and basic services.

Observers also point out that the changing academic dates could coincide with rainy and flood seasons in some governorates, potentially hindering student and teacher access to schools, especially in rural and remote areas lacking adequate road networks. Experts fear these conditions could lead to frequent disruptions in schooling, affecting the actual number of teaching days and the overall quality of education.

Experts in educational administration state that adopting the Hijri calendar may necessitate periodic adjustments to educational plans, academic programs, and examination schedules, in addition to related administrative, financial, and organizational arrangements requiring continuous review. They add that education requires significant temporal stability to achieve its objectives, especially given the long-standing challenges facing Yemen's education sector.

This current debate unfolds as Yemen's education sector grapples with cumulative challenges, including deteriorating school infrastructure, funding shortages, and high dropout rates in Houthi-controlled areas. Observers believe the discussion extends beyond this year's start date to encompass the long-term implications of using the Hijri calendar as a fixed basis for organizing the academic year, and the continuous date shifts it entails.

As the debate between proponents and opponents continues, the future of the academic calendar in Houthi-controlled regions remains a subject of extensive discussion within educational circles. There are calls to consider academic and climatic factors when making decisions related to the organization of the educational process.