ADRA has established itself as a leader in the education sector, emphasizing both formal and non-formal education, as well as technical and vocational training and advocacy efforts. Since 2018, ADRA’s education initiatives have reached 2,096,248 learners across the globe.
In 2022, ADRA served more than 1,160,674 children worldwide with over $33 million spent on 159 educational projects.
Advocacy is a core component of ADRA’s education programs. From Education for All campaigns, policy development and revisions to implementation of accelerated learning programs that support reintegration of children to school and increase investments, ADRA has been able to support education for more than 817,758 women and girls. In the last 2 years more than at least 3,000 children, youth and adults with disabilities have benefitted from ADRA’s education program and advocacy efforts.
ADRA’s education programming places the learner at the center and aims to advocate and improve equitable and inclusive learning environments with a strong focus on girls, ethnic minorities and children with disabilities. Poverty, gender, ethnicity, geographic location, disability, race, language, conflict and other factors exclude children, youth and adults from and within education opportunities. These inputs include the creation of inclusive, safe, healthy and protective learning environments, training for effective teaching and learning, promotion of community education to influence decision making, supply teaching and learning materials and further quality education policies and systems. These five elements form the basis of our strategic approach to education in development and emergency settings.
In the education sector, ADRA abides by key principles of intervention that center around sustainable change, evidence-based programming, innovative and adaptive programing, relevant education solutions and functional accountability within communities and in governing structures.
Inclusion, learning outcomes, education systems and community development form the main focus areas of impact in ADRA’s support to formal education. In ADRA’s holistic approach, increasing the access and quality from primary to high school levels occur through the improvement of learning outcomes by providing teachers and students with quality learning and teaching materials, skills development in the areas of socio-emotional learning and disabilities, parent education in school topics and infrastructure support to children and teachers to engage in safe and healthy school environment. In the last 6 years of this approach, ADRA has seen an average improvement of 30% in learning outcomes in target schools in South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. In addressing inequalities in education, ADRA has seen an increase in enrollment of 552% of children with disabilities in five countries and improved girls’ enrolment by 31% in the last 5 years. Life skills classes, psychosocial support and community engagement in advocacy activities in areas such as protection and inclusion complement our support to the education sector by providing communities with a holistic approach to development.
ADRA emphasizes a holistic development of communities through literacy and numeracy classes, accelerated learning programs (ALP) and skills development. Some of key findings in Myanmar, South Sudan and Niger have shown that as communities gain knowledge and skills and learners have better access to quality and equitable education, there are still large numbers of children who have dropped out or never had the opportunity to access education. Particularly in these cases, non-formal education (NFE) opportunities are vital to help children re-enter education or access opportunities. For this reason, ADRA NFE approach also addresses the needs of teachers and school management through professional development, provision of teaching and learning materials and mobilization of the community to engage in learning. In Somalia, women and people with disabilities receive training in literacy and numeracy classes followed by short-term skills development training to support them in the informal market. In 8 ADRA offices in the Africa continent, more than 23,055 youth and adults have gained literacy and numeracy skills. ADRA also partners with other NGOs or local organizations to provide accelerated learning programs for out of school children to assist them in reintegrating into mainstream schools. In the last three years more than 9,821 learners have become literate and numerate through the NFE centers supported by ADRA.
In the last 5 years, ADRA has provided skills training to more than 13,550 youth and adults that is informed by market needs and opportunities, aiming at measurable improvements in income generation, employment, social skills and empowerment. ADRA’s holistic approach to education also applies to the TVET sector where we work to create linkages with national centers and systems, offering accredited courses to support the professional development of TVET trainers and quality skills training for students. ADRA’s key intervention areas within TVET are curriculum development, digital literacy, 21st century skills, infrastructure, equipment, machinery and teaching and learning materials provision and engagement with businesses on developing relevant training for the local market. ADRA also has a specific emphasis on private-sector engagement, which is deemed critical in regards to training quality and relevance, as well as employment outcomes in local labor markets. ADRA further invests in TVET coordination mechanisms and systems development assisting governments and multilateral partners to implement and review policies, share learning and program adaptation and promote bilateral support between countries. Such bilateral support occurs through the cross-border recognition of students’ credentials, investment in TVET trainer capacity and support for improvements in some sectors of employment. In countries like Somalia, ADRA aided in the establishment of the TVET department at the State federal level of Jubaland where the country office has been supporting the operations of the Kismayo Technical Institute. In Myanmar, during 4 consecutive years, bilateral agreement between the DTVET-Myanmar and the Office of Vocational Educational Training (OVEC-Thailand) have been established to improve the skills of teachers, recognize skills of TVET graduates and promote curriculum dialogue over systems and policies.
ADRA’s EiE response has grown to incorporate more sustainable approaches and internationally recognized minimum standards to ensure that children and vulnerable populations have access to protection, recovery and opportunities for development. ADRA’s EiE strategic goals focus on five key areas of intervention that include ensuring safe schools and learning environments, strengthening inclusion and access, creating education pathways, enhancing disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience and monitoring, evaluating and disseminating learning. In ADRA’s EiE contexts, protection, safeguarding and inclusion form the foundation of our interventions that provides vulnerable populations with the aid most needed. Additionally, investments in coordination and program adaptation reinforce the relevance of our EiE programs to contribute to national strategies and to deliver context-driven initiatives. In South Sudan, for example, ADRA has been providing EiE support in remote areas in the country, ensuring refugee, IDP returnee children and the school staff have access to safe infrastructure, teaching and learning materials, trained school staff and volunteer teachers, psychosocial support and communities are able to learn new skills through literacy circles and VSLAs initiatives. In Thailand, refugee populations have been receiving skills training in agriculture, sewing, house wiring, and cooking.
At the global level, ADRA launched the “Every child. Everywhere. In school.” advocacy campaign to mobilize governments, stakeholders and communities about the human right of all children to access education. This is because ADRA believes that every child, everywhere should have access to quality education. This advocacy campaign has enabled ADRA, in partnership with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, to focus on initiatives in countries facing significant challenges around early child marriage, children with disabilities and vulnerable groups in emergency contexts not having access to quality education. In the first phase of its campaign through large-scale advocacy actions and localized campaigns, ADRA aimed to reach 1 million signatures in a global petition and implemented advocacy-led initiatives in Fiji, Kenya, Mozambique, Norway, Myanmar, Somalia, Niger and Thailand.
The *Global Education Report* was produced which played a pivotal role in enhancing the campaign’s effectiveness by identifying areas considered barriers to education including finance, inclusion, education quality, retention, and crisis management. It provided leaders with practical and attainable measures that could be implemented to ensure greater access to education for children.
DRA has partnered with several development agencies, government ministries and departments, and educational and research institutions to deliver education programs to communities across the globe. We view collaboration as a cost-effective and time-saving means for implementing projects, sharing lessons, and combining technical experience and expertise for maximum project impact.
ADRA has developed strong relationships with both international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs), and often partner with organizations to further our objectives. Some of the most significant partners for ADRA’s education programming include UNICEF, Save the Children, Norad and European Union.
ADRA affirms education as a basic human right and a tool which pledges the realization of other rights. Our education programs contribute towards the achievement of peace, tolerance, human fulfillment and sustainable development in communities across the world.
Discover the incredible impact ADRA has across the world! With a presence in over 120 countries, ADRA brings new hope and positive change to countless communities in need. From disaster relief to long-term sustainable development projects, ADRA’s commitment to making a difference has inspired many to join in their efforts to create a better world. Through perseverance and compassion, ADRA has touched the lives of so many and continues to inspire us all to work towards a brighter future. Together we can make a difference.
© ADRA International 2024
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