Second chance classes put young Ethiopians back to school

The education charity Luminos Fund launched an accelerated schooling program that helps Ethiopian children between the ages of 8 and 14 resume studies disrupted by conflict, child labour and poverty.

Over ten months, these “second-chance” classes cover the same learning outcomes as the first three years of school. The idea is then to reintroduce the children into government schools at the end of the program—giving them a chance to pursue studies and get new opportunities.

So far, the organization got more than 137,000 students back to school, supporting the significant improvement regarding access to education in Ethiopia—with primary school net enrolment tripling between 2000 and 2016.

Moreover, studies found that, six years after completing the program, 75% of the students were still in school and performing even better than their peers.

Why does it matter? The Ethiopian government invested massively to provide universal education. However, girls still often stay at home to help with chores while boys work in the fields. Today, the government does not provide pathways for these children to go back to school. Moreover, drought, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impact the most vulnerable children—preventing them from getting a proper education.

Accelerated education programs, such as this one, are vital for children who are out of school and those at risk of dropping out.

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