Africa Programmes: Why"Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation." Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
Currently, there are 77 million children worldwide who are receiving no primary education at all. While 682 million children are enrolled in primary schools many are not receiving a good quality education and do not complete a full course of primary schooling. Many governments have taken positive steps forward to ensure children attend school by abolishing schools fees for primary education. However, this has often led to huge increases in enrolment, and while teacher numbers and school infrastructure remain unchanged this places more pressure on education systems which are already struggling to cope. It is clear that while improved access to primary education is essential, it will only be effective if the education being provided in classrooms is relevant and of good quality.
LCD works predominantly in improving the quality of education in primary schools in sub-Saharan Africa. The value of primary education is immeasurable and improving basic reading and writing skills is a top priority for developing country governments and the international community. This can be seen through the common commitment to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). LCD works directly with schools and local governments to improve the quality of education in primary schools. This has been shown to directly correlate to increased and sustained school enrolment, as children benefit more from learning and parents feel that education is more worthwhile - proving that there is a link between quality and quantity! LCD's projects are very aware of the issues which impact on access to education and help primary schools take steps to prevent children dropping out, particularly girls.
Click here for more information on how LCD works with schools and local governments to improve the quality of education in schools across sub-Saharan Africa. Sources: Department for International Development (DFID), Global Campaign for Education (GCE).
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Education is a basic human right and fundamental to breaking the
cycle of poverty and ensuring sustainable human development. By providing ALL
children with quality primary education, governments will give individuals the
opportunity and skills to lift themselves out of poverty.
HIV/AIDS is also
having a devastating impact on rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. With
24.5 million people infected with HIV/AIDS in the region in 2005, almost
everyone is affected in some way by the pandemic. Schools are a central part of
many communities and therefore have a responsibility to ensure teachers, pupils
and other community members both infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are
adequately supported. LCD projects understand the need to focus on how schools
and their communities can plan for and alleviate the impact of the pandemic by
better supporting those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS alongside continuing
to provide a quality education.
