Education

Save the Children’s education priorities are first, to have more children enrolled in pre-primary, early childhood care and development (ECCD) and basic education programmes, and second, once enrolled, ensure that they have access to resources and a supportive environment to facilitate their learning. Additionally, we focus on improving the training, resourcing and management of teachers so that children can enjoy safe and accessible schools and receive quality education, including those children with disabilities.

School access is often impeded by social and economic barriers, especially for those children who are marginalised. As such, we focus our efforts on increasing the involvement of parents’ and caregivers’ in their children’s education, using role models and change agents to ensure parents and caregivers remain engaged and dedicated to their children’s learning. For our ECCD interventions, we integrate health, nutrition, child protection and positive parenting techniques, which together, contribute to positive outcomes for young learners and provide them with a head start when they transition into primary school. We are strong advocates for the prioritisation and resourcing of ECCD programming within the national education system, particularly in rural areas where children and parents / caregivers have limited exposure and access to resources.

Throughout a young learner’s education, we heavily invest in age-appropriate teaching and learning materials which have been carefully designed to help children gain solid functional literacy and numeracy skills. We also support the professional development of teachers so that they are have the skills and resources to work with all types of learners, and train community.

In partnership with the government and disability inclusion organisations, we develop inclusive practices and provide support to ensure the access and utilisation of assistive learning technologies. We also work with schools to improve their leadership and management to help tackle issues such as teacher absenteeism, as well as to encourage the active engagement of communities in school management and oversight.

Save the Children has a global all-hazard Safe Schools Approach, which promotes the wellbeing of children and ensures schools and learning facilities are physically and emotionally safe learning environments and fully inclusive of children with disabilities. We also support the development of school disaster preparedness and response plans to ensure children remain safe in the face of natural disasters. In emergency settings, we rehabilitate or upgrade damaged school structures or provide temporary learning spaces, and ensure that children who are affected by conflict or disasters can resume their education as quickly as possible. We ensure that children are protected in schools, and we provide referrals or direct support for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for children at risk or recovering from distressful and violent situations.

Save the Children is a co-coordinator of the national education cluster and Cabo Delgado education sub-cluster. We share our expertise and technical support to ensure well-organised, data-driven and accountable responses to education during emergencies in the country.