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Basic Education
There is a global learning crisis. Over 260 million children are out-of-school, and 130 million cannot read, even after completing four years of primary education. Moreover, about 62 million out-of-school children and youth live in conflict areas where their learning is interrupted.
Save the Children’s goal is that all children attend good quality inclusive basic education and demonstrate relevant learning outcomes.
To achieve this we work with schools, families and communities to ensure that children learn to read and write within the first three years of primary education in safe and happy learning spaces. This means having enough spaces for children to learn, and that those spaces are physically safe, support children’s well-being, promote active learning, and engage parents and communities. Additionally, we work with donors, governments, and other stakeholders to ensure policy and practice explicitly address barriers to learning, and factors driving exclusion from and within basic education.
Save the Children defines basic education as the compulsory years of education in a particular country. In addition to this, Save the Children focuses on alternative, accelerated and remedial education, which may not be defined as ‘compulsory’ but which is critical in providing learning opportunities to the most deprived and marginalised children.
Explore the library for more education resources.
Photo: Save the Children
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RecommendedEducation Cannot Wait
Persistent underfunding of education, coupled with inadequate capacity has combined to form a toxic cocktail that is denying far too many children the opportunity to learn. Reaching the children who are educationally left behind because of this mix of neg
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RecommendedFinancing Learning for Every Last Child
Sustainable Development Goal 4 commits the world to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” World leaders have promised to ensure every girl and boy will learn from a quality education. If th
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RecommendedEnding Education and Child Poverty in Europe
Children across Europe tell us that what poverty means for them is going to school on an empty stomach, being stressed because parents can’t pay the rent, spending winter in cold homes and schools, not having enough money to buy a book and not daring to h
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Save the Children's Education Strategic Direction, 2016-2018
Every child has a right to education as written in international law, and Save the Children will not rest until all children enjoy that right. In addition to being a right, good quality education is the means by which we equip our children with the knowle
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Lessons in Literacy: 8 principles to ensure every last child can read
Over the last several decades the world has made incredible progress in getting children into school. However, there is more work to be done to ensure that every last child is learning. While the focus on access to school has been important, it has been p
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Literacy Boost: Cross-country analysis report
Literacy Boost is Save the Children’s innovative, evidence-based program to support the development of reading skills in young children. Literacy Boost holistically pursues the goal of literacy by using assessments to identify gaps and measure improvement
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Literacy Boost: Beyond school walls. A boost for readers
While more children are in school today than ever before, many are not learning basic skills like reading once they get there. Save the Children's Literacy Boost Program is helping to change that by creating a culture of reading both inside and outside th
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Save the Children's Literacy Boost Toolkit: Introduction
Literacy Boost is an innovative, evidence-based approach to improving literacy learning outcomes, and is increasing the reading skills of underperforming children in a growing number of program sites across the globe. This introductory document is designe
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Literacy Boost: Helping children develop reading skills in and out of school
Literacy Boost is Save the Children’s innovative, evidence based response to an alarming global trend—the rise in the numbers of children finishing primary school who are unable to read well enough to learn. This document gives a four page overview of the
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Save the Children Presentation on Literacy Boost: Lessons from Assessment and Community
Save the Children's presentation of ' Literacy Boost: Lessons from Assessment and Community' outlines what Literacy Boost is, the role of assessment and tracking individual students, the role of community and parental support, the role of text and materia