Access to education is not only a fundamental human right, but also a key factor in reducing poverty and child labor.
Education is essential to the process of promoting democracy, peace, tolerance and human development around the world.
However, today there are about 771 million adults who are illiterate, and about 72 million children—the majority of them girls—who are not enrolled in school.
Seventy percent of these out-of-school children live in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia. Millions more children are taught by untrained, underpaid teachers in overcrowded, unhealthy, poorly equipped classrooms.
Concern defines basic education as the essential knowledge, skills and values that form the foundation for life-long learning and economic survival. Integral to this foundation are the ability to read and write, skills in basic math, science, health and nutrition, socialization and communication, and problem-solving skills appropriate to specific contexts.
Simply put, basic education gives people greater economic opportunities and empowers them to lead healthier, more productive lives.
As with all of Concern’s work, our education programs target the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world. We place particular emphasis on reaching those who have been excluded from the formal schooling system, such as girls, children from the poorest families in urban or rural settings, the landless, working children (including those involved in hazardous occupations and prostitution), children of minority groups, children of migrant or pastoralist families, orphans, children affected and infected by HIV and AIDS, and children with disabilities.
Globally, millions of female children are excluded from primary school, and many more drop out before attaining four years of primary education. Therefore, Concern’s programs promote gender equality and the enhancement of education for girls.
Concern’s work in basic education began in urban Bangladesh in 1972. For the past 30 years, Concern has maintained its commitment to improving access to education for the poorest people in the world.
How do we do it?
Our approach is to work in close partnership with communities to build and rehabilitate schools, organize parent/teacher associations, develop school management committees, train teachers, coordinate adult literacy and job training programs, and provide books, desks and other essential learning materials for classrooms. We work in both the formal and non-formal sectors to reach the most vulnerable children.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
Today, Concern has education programs in 12 countries (Angola, Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and South Sudan), that directly benefit 528,804. Concern has worked hard to reduce the number of out-of-school children through improving enrollment and retention rates, especially for girls. Here are some examples of the impact of our work:
- In Kenya, Concern reached 108,620 vulnerable children living in urban slums poor rural areas, improving school retention rates, particularly among orphans and other vulnerable groups. In programs in the rural districts of Suba, Rarieda, and Kisumu, Concern addressed issues that limit access to education and worked to increase enrollment among girls by improving sanitation facilities.
- In Burundi, Concern worked with dozens of schools to increase access to primary education for the poorest children, including students from the Batwa minority.
- In Ethiopia, Concern's education program reached 5,704 children, out of which 4,350 attended Alternative Basic Education (ABE) and 137 children accessed preschool in Concern's "Propride" project.
- In Haiti, Concern is providing emergency, transitional education to earthquake-affected children in Port-au-Prince through "Child Friendly Spaces." These programs target displaced children living in makeshift settlements who have experienced trauma and shock, and offer psychosocial support as well as basic learning and instruction in music, art, crafts, as well as play to help establish a vital sense of stability and normalcy.
Concern also places heavy emphasis on improving the quality of education in our target areas. The following initiatives, among others, have contributed to that aim:
- In Bangladesh, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, Concern promoted school management committees that helped improve rates of attendance and the quality of education for students.
- In Sierra Leone, Concern is offering innovative training for teachers and school management committees through teacher resource centers and reading rooms, benefiting thousands of students.
- Concern continues to build the capacity of local partners and community members and strengthen education structures in the formal sector by providing institutional support.
Links
Global Campaign for Education
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
UN Millennium Development Goals