Yemeni graduates rush to fill vacancies [Archives:2005/868/Front Page]

By Bassam Jamil Alsaqqaf
For Yemen Times
Hundreds of Yemeni graduates had last week applied to register with the Supreme Committee concerned with employing Yemenis instead of foreign labour in response to an announcement published in Al-Thawra Daily last Wednesday.

The ministries of Education and Civil Service had earlier announced plans for contracting with 1010 teachers to be later distributed to the different governorates.

Graduates of Faculties of education, sciences and arts were the only qualified candidates to apply for these jobs. The need of governorates of Aden, Hudeidah and Ibb for employees does not exceed two and for Taiz only five employees, while the capital secretariat has been in need of 144 employees. The other posts were to be distributed among other governorates.

In spite of the small number of the posts needed, there was a rush of graduates who came from all over the country. Some came from remote regions. This is attributed to the great number of unemployed graduates, in addition to the economic recession. The suspension of employment until next year is another factor.

There was a great anarchy among the applicants who crowded in the Higher Institute for Teachers. Some of them withdrew from there uttering phrases of cursing. They described this sort of conduct as that of a “herd of sheep and not educationalists.” It is worth mentioning that the rate of unemployment in Yemen is approximately 40%.

The behavior of the “replacement” committee, headed by Hamod Shuja'a Uddin was lacking sense of responsibility. Though the applicants came early in the morning, they were kept waiting under the hot sun. The application forms didn't come until 11:30

This scene reminds one of the bloody Wednesday demonstrations. They were all starving and angry, but without carrying out acts of violence and sabotage. They are not wanted for a crime but for a job.
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