Education levels in Yemen are very low. Basic education of girls are among the lowest in the world.

SFD aims to improve the quality of education and close the gender gap in education by increasing the number of girls who enrol basic school. Much of the support provided by SFD in Education is in community-driven infrastructure— supporting communities to build classrooms, staff housing, toilets and other building works. However, there are also special programs that support different teaching methods and other aspects of education.

The Education Unit aims to have a wide geographical spread, supporting improvements in education in most areas of Yemen, including in remote areas where access is difficult. 
Implementation is based on a number of principles. Community participation is central to educational support at the community level. Community contributions are part of this participation, the amount of the required contribution varies according to the type of project. It may be in cash or kind.
Interventions supported by the Education Unit are designed to support the National Strategy for Basic and Secondary Education and are based on requests from the community. In some cases, especially marginalised areas, the applications could also be as a result of awareness raising and targeting by SFD. Interventions are based on sound situational analysis- see Chapter 4- and the design of infrastructure respects local architectural styles and the environment.

The Education Unit focuses its support in six main areas:

• Expanding & developing the infrastructure of basic and secondary education
• Improving the quality of educational processes with support from the Ministry of Education to try new approaches towards increasing educational quality.
• Providing adequate educational opportunities for girls in rural areas and narrowing the gap between the enrolment of boys and girls
• Institutional support to the Ministry of Education and its offices in the governorates
• Supporting literacy programs and adult education
• Strengthening community participation in the educational process.

There are seven major programs:

1. Expanding & Developing Infrastructure for Primary & Secondary Education
2. Improving the Quality of Education
3. Improving Girls’ Education & Community Participation
4. Educational Distinction
5. Pre-School Education
6. Institutional Support
7. Literacy and Adult Education

Each of these programs has its own objectives, criteria for eligibility and ways of measuring progress. For full details, see SFD Guidelines of Operation. Each program is described briefly below.

1. Expanding & Developing Infrastructure for basic & Secondary Education
   This program aims to increase primary and secondary school enrolment through improving the quality of school infrastructure. This may involve building new or rehabilitating old school buildings, and provision of furniture.
   Full details of criteria for eligibility are given in SFD Guidelines of Operations. In summary, these criteria are: level of services in the area,  sufficient population within a given radius, the priorities of the community and of women and girls, the provision of land for infrastructure as appropriate and without causing undue hardship. In addition, the project must be technically feasible and within the community’s capabilities and the community must meet a required minimum contribution of 5%,
   As the school will be public property and under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, it is very important to ensure that the Education Office has approved the project and has committed to provide running costs and any additional resources that may be required such as teachers.
2. Improving the Quality of Education:
   Under this program, SFD aims to improve the quality of education through increasing the performance of school staff. This is a pilot program that hopes to act as model for further introduction if it is proved successful. The types of interventions that are supported are as follows:
   • Building additional classrooms and service facilities for existing schools in order to alleviate overcrowding
   • Providing schools with sufficient equipment and supplies to achieve quality education
   • Developing and preparing directories of information for improving the quality of the educational process
   • Building administrative and technical capacities
   • Harnessing technology in education
   • Developing appropriate regulations, programs and procedures
   • Establishing and training councils of parents
   • Establishing and training students’ councils to support the participation of pupils in the educational process
3. Improving Girls’ Education & Community Participation:
   This program aims to reduce the enrolment gap between girls and boys. It aims to do this through ensuring the availability of facilities to meet the needs of boys and girls, and through giving support to teachers, students and communities as well as institutional support to girls’ education departments.
   Specific activities include:
   • Infrastructure: building and furnishing new schools, girls’ centres, classrooms, activities rooms, community education classes, water cisterns and health facilities, 
   • Provision of equipment and appropriate teaching tools
   • Developing guidelines and directories for trainers and facilitators
   • Supporting diverse school activities
   • Multi-level capacity building for students (both girls and boys), teachers, school administrations and social workers
   • Institutional support for girls’ education departments and community participation
   • Community groups: Establishing and training of a variety of community groups—male and female students’ groups, women congregations, girls, parents, community committees, etc.
   • Community awareness and mobilization.
4. Education Distinction
   This program is supporting the Ministry of Education develop a system to support those students who are particularly talented. It aims to help talented students reach their full potential.   Specific activities include:
   • developing enriching materials for gifted and creative students
   • Selecting and supporting educational and administrative personnel to work with talented students
   • training staff in the teaching & support of gifted students
   • Designing balanced and inclusive programs and manuals for staff in this area
   • providing students with supporting programs to meet their psychological, physical and social needs
   • Preparing and developing the academic admission tests and admission systems for students and teachers
   • furnishing and equipping schools with advanced equipment and technology to implement the Program's activities
   • selecting, training and equipping some schools in the governorates' capitals and preparing them for receiving talented students in selected grades
   • institutional support to the Ministry of Education
5. Pre-School Education
   This program aims to support the government expand pre-school education. Pre-school education is seen as important as it increases a child’s educational attainment in and beyond basic school.
   Specific activities include:
   • Developing standards and ideal designs for pre-school education
   • Developing alternative and accessible means to serve pre-school education
   • Contributing to the development of government policy towards pre-school education
   • Training personnel in kindergartens
   • Providing furniture and equipment to kindergartens.
6. Institutional Support
   This program aims to directly support the Ministry of Education through administrative and institutional support.
   Support is provided in the following areas:
   • Decentralisation—SFD builds, furnishes and equips Education Offices in the Districts as well as providing institutional support, to enhance supervision of the educational process at District level
   • Support to the School Mapping Department—SFD supports with capacity building, supply of equipment and new technology, to enhance strategic planning
   • Establishment of an Educational and Evaluation Centre—to enhance the Ministry of Education’s capacity for management and training in the education sector.
7. Literacy & Adult Education
   This program aims to support the Government’s Literacy and Adult Education Authority in reducing illiteracy of persons of 10 years of age and above.
   Specific activities include:
   • developing and updating basic training programs especially for women
   • developing institutional mechanisms that help encourage girls to enroll in literacy education.
   • widening the circle of targeting
   • constructing and furnishing classrooms and centres of literacy and adult education
   • training and capacity building for relevant personnel