22 more second chance community schools

Community schools now give a second chance to children who never attended primary school or dropped out early on. Villagers are involved every step of the way, from building schools to hiring, training and managing the teachers. The more parents and community leaders are involved in the schools, the more students will succeed.

The community school – an alternative for children who exceed the typical age of schooling – allows primary school drop-outs to follow a four-year program to learn basic reading, maths and more. The flexible curriculum adapts to community needs, as parents add subjects. Plan's alternative education work include:

• launching seven community schools for out-of-school children in Tillabery this past year, and 15 in Dosso since 2003
• supporting communities in recruiting and hiring 49 community school teachers – 42 in Dosso since 2002, and 7 in Tillabery during the 2004-2005 academic year
• training these teachers in improved classroom instruction, including how to teach language and maths effectively

Plan Niger supports community education in the villages of its sponsored children and advocates on a national level for community mobilization and involvement in children’s schooling. 

In July 2004, in partnership with Niger’s Basic Education Ministry, Plan Niger sponsored an international conference on community schools to share experiences and lessons learned in West African countries, and to develop a national policy for educating out-of-school youth.  The 80 participants included representatives from Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal, as well as France.