Learning

Helping children, young people and adults acquire skills and knowledge

Although most Colombian children enrol in primary school, in many Plan areas only about 46 per cent of children make it to grade five (usually children aged at least 11). There are several reasons for the high dropout rate, including run-down classrooms, school supply shortages and curriculum problems.

We worked with communities to provide more than 2,050 schools desks for 15 schools. We also teamed up with Colombia’s Education Ministry to start a speed-learning programme for those children who had dropped out of school and were now too old to re-enrol. The programme consisted of multi-grade classrooms with special modules and supplies. A total of 5,300 children participated. More children now hope to graduate from grade five.