ECD Achievement on Education

ECD Achievement on Education

Another area of focus is educational access for impoverished children. As a result, the center has made an important impact on enhancing access to education for children from poor families. The center’s contribution includes its work in enhancing access to pre primaries for children from poor families. In many parts of Ethiopia, especially in impoverished areas and localities school aged children are kept at home missing out the key formation stage of their lives. In some poor areas where there is attempt to cater for the needs of pre primary children, there are inadequate facilities. ECD has witnessed that the children are kept outdoors under sheds or in run down classrooms with inappropriate facilities. Hence, ECD not only built pre-primaries fully furnished with adequate facilities and outdoor playgrounds but it also provided up to standard teaching aids and learning materials. Furthermore, the center has also successfully assisted poor girls in formal high school education for higher grades and better performance for better futures and possibility of pursuing higher education and subsequent gainful employment.

Pre-Primaries for Children in Impoverished Areas

ECD has constructed new pre -primary classrooms and refurbished run down ones in poverty stricken areas in five regions across Ethiopia. As part of the intervention, ECD provided desks, chairs, shelves, blackboards and other materials including teaching aids to these pre-primaries. The center also installed attractive playgrounds and provided uniforms for children in need. Impoverished areas in SNNP, Oromiya, Amhara, Tigray and Hareri Regions were targeted and thus a total of 2794) children benefited from this intervention. The pre-primaries were built in impoverished areas in government owned schools as indicated below. So far 8 pre-primaries are constructed and 9 pre-primaries are renovated.

Oromiya Region in Adama pre- primaries were constructed in Solonke Kurfa and Dabe Koche primary schools.

Oromiya Region in Adama pre- primaries were constructed in Solonke Kurfa and Dabe Koche primary schools.
In Amhara Region,(Awi Zone) Abla Akena , Syso Mesk and 02 Kebele primaries were renovated and A new pre primary was built at Lejet School, In Denbecha Woreda, West Gijam Zone
Tigray Region in Mekele pre-primaries were constructed in Hawseba and Mereb Meete schools and another pre-primary, Elala pre primary was renovated.
In Hareri Region Pre-Primaries were constructed in the compound Koremy and Hawsen schools.
SNNPR in Arbaminch, Gero and Sikella pre-primaries were refurbished and a new one was constructed at Yetnebersh primary School.

ECD conducted extensive needs assessment

Prior to the intervention, ECD conducted extensive needs assessment to identify the most in need. This meant working with Zonal Education Office, relevant schools and Parent/Teacher Committees. Such links enabled ECD to make informed decisions and have an informed view when devising its plan and intervention for these impoverished areas. It is well known that most schools in rural, remote and impoverished areas start from first grade and do not have the facilities, means (both financial and technical capacity) to provide pre primary education to children of their local communities in organized manner. This means that many children will miss out on this key formation stage of their childhood development, which research has proved it has direct link to success later in higher grades.

          Metting with Parent/Teacher Committee

ECD’s base line assessment, which took place prior to the above intervention, clearly demonstrated that the pre-primary in most impoverished areas are not age appropriate or financially and technically capable for the provision of up to standard education. The availability of fully equipped pre-primaries with outdoor playgrounds would have been unthinkable in these impoverished areas without ECD’s intervention to bridge the gap between the poor and rich.

Since its construction the number of students attending pre primaries has increased each year and ECD continues to assist the teaching learning process by providing quality and up to standard, teaching aids, which were provided after the completion of renovation and construction. These teaching aids have helped improve the quality of education to the children and the teaching aids together with the reading material provided enhanced the children’s skills and development including reading skills considerably. Furthermore, ECD provided training to facilitators of 8 schools a total of 20 participants were enlightened on methodology and their facilitation roles.

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