ACDEO promotes access to quality education for all regardless of gender or location
Education
The growth in educational provision at all levels, including the dramatic growth in the number of girls and young women entering and completing education, has been one of Afghanistan’s principal success stories in the post-Taliban era. Many improvements in the quality of education provision are still needed, of course, from the provision of school buildings to continuing professional development for teachers.
ACDEO’s education focus aims to respond creatively to the needs of the most vulnerable children and adolescents in Afghanistan. We do so by focusing on four pillars:
Access to Education
All children have the right to access and complete a full course of education opportunities.
ACDEO promotes equal access to quality education for all students, regardless of gender or location, reaching out to people in the most vulnerable situations., in particular, girls and boys living in remote areas, those from ethnic minorities, displaced children and people living with disabilities.
ACDEO mediates with parents, carers and heads of families to support their children to complete primary and secondary education. Secondly, ACDEO acts as a chaperone in supporting decisions by children to continue their education.
Knowledge
Attending school is not enough.
Children need to have access to quality teaching and learning so that they leave school with knowledge and skills that will enable them to obtain work, lead healthy lives, continue to learn, and be active and responsible citizens.
Here, ACDEO is seeking opportunities to assess current teaching approaches and learning outcomes, including by drawing on previous partner research into skill-sets required for students to enter employment or self-employment successfully, including skills and knowledge acquired through technical and vocational education.
Safety and protection in schools and communities.
Educational institutions should be protected by safeguarding policies and procedures.
ACDEO promotes student well-being by providing access to safe spaces where they can develop their cognitive, emotional, and social skills. ACDEO conducts assessments of space safety, of safeguarding policy development and implementation, and reviews current policies and practices to lead to greater security for children and young people.
Sustainability
Sustaining and strengthening life skills
To promote sustainability, ACDEO teaches life skills geared towards finding employment, vocational training, and provides support in finding access to markets for those who have established their own businesses or plan to do so.
What We Have Done
• Since 2013, ACDEO’s Family Support Helpline has provided informed advice on concerns around education for families throughout Afghanistan.
• ACDEO has conducted awareness -building for Afghan students on the causes of Gender-Based Violence and how to deal with it in Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kabul and Panjshir provinces.
