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Education is empowering. It strengthens individuals, families and communities. CARE believes that working to improve the quality and accessibility of basic education is one of the best investments we can make in efforts to overcome poverty. We seek to ensure that the right to education is fulfilled, even in the most difficult circumstances and for the most vulnerable groups, such as refugee children and people living with AIDS.
CARE's Response
We launched our education program in 1994 with a handful of pilot projects. Today, CARE operates education projects in 36 countries. Drawing strength from our global reach, experience, extensive education portfolio and partnerships, we develop innovative learning solutions and prepare educational systems to fulfill everyone’s right to
learn. Our work helps vulnerable learners effectively participate in schools, and prepares educational systems to meet these vulnerable students’ needs. Today we work alongside communities, governments and partner organizations at many levels to address all
aspects of basic education. Our inclusive approaches include training teachers and other school personnel to improve the quality of education; linking education programs to interventions in health, nutrition and livelihoods to better address reasons why children are out of school; involving communities in assessing and overcoming their unique barriers to learning; and conducting broad campaigns that promote the right to education for all people.
Our education program goals:
- Increasing basic education attainment, with a focus on enrollment and school completion rates.
- Improving gender equality in basic education, since education for girls provides the single highest return on investment in the developing world.
- Enhancing the quality of basic education, because quality is the key to student retention and achievement, as well as continued community involvement and ownership.
At the community level, CARE works to:
- Reduce cultural and economic barriers to girls' education;
- Support community schools where government services are unavailable;
- Develop responsive, participatory and accountable systems of educational governance and management to address issues of access and quality;
- Train teachers to enhance student achievement; and
- Provide basic education for adolescents and youth at risk who have missed the chance for a primary education.
At the national level, CARE builds capacity within governments and private organizations to:
- Develop and implement effective policy reform;
- Improve the quality and relevance of learning;
- Enhance the status, morale and professionalism of teachers; and
- Advocate quality basic education for all.
The Basic and Girls Education Unit has four program focus areas:
- Girls’ Education: Under this overarching strategy, CARE focuses on creating a sustained, multi-country, multi-dimensional effort in addressing the issue of girls’ access to appropriate learning and education.
- Child Labor: In parallel with the growing awareness in the international community about the problems of child exploitation, CARE promotes rights-based approaches to protect children and address underlying causes of poverty.
- Education in Countries in Crisis: Because failed states, political disorder and natural disasters are a growing concern, CARE seeks to adapt to the rebuilding of educational systems in countries in crisis, with a special emphasis on post-conflict contexts.
- HIV/AIDS and Education: The devastation of HIV/AIDS on education systems has led to a focus meeting the emotional needs of orphans and vulnerable children and the institutional needs of systems trying to cope with teacher and administrator shortages.
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