Education

One of the basic rights of children is the right to education. Child Protection Society works to support the fulfilment of this right through the implementation of education related programs supporting the most vulnerable communities. The following are programs that CPS implements.

Early Childhood Education

CPS implements the School Readiness Initiative (SRI), an ECD program that works to improve the quality of ECD from national down to district and community level. The program is currently implemented in 12 districts targeting the most vulnerable rural schools in Zimbabwe that are under resourced, with plans to scale up in upcoming years. At national level the program engages parliamentarians and Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) to prioritise resourcing towards ECD in Zimbabwe, including human and financial resources. At district level, work is done with the Rural District Councils to support schools in communities and in schools the project promotes joint effort from School Development Committees, ECD teachers, ECD caregivers and community members to improve the status of ECD in schools, thereby improving the quality of ECD education in rural schools. During the pandemic support was provided for children who were no longer benefitting from the school feeding program through the distribution of nutrition packages for program beneficiaries.

Child Protection Society has also supported the construction of ECD classes in 85 schools in Matabeleland benefitting over 8,000 children.

School fees support for vulnerable children in primary schooLS

Noting the barrier to education being lack of access to school fees by primary caregivers, Child Protection Society has supported school fees payment for children in primary school. The parents of children supported are supported to start projects to improve their economic resilience and over time are transitioned from 100- to 0% school fees support as a sustainability measure. Children are also supported with education supplies, including stationery, books and school uniforms. Beneficiaries of this program, including other children attending the school, are also supported with School Health Assessments detailed in the ‘Health’ section.

Vocational training for out of school youth

Vocational education aims to develop skills and competencies of youth so that they meet the expectations of future employers when on the job and/or are able to start their own income generating projects based on the skills that they have accumulated. It layers learning and building expertise through community apprenticeship. Child Protection Society targets out of school girls and boys supported through the Youth Empowerment program to undertake vocational training as a way to improve their economic resilience.

Layering these above interventions for youth empowerment Child Protection Society aims to develop youth so that they have exposure to routine expertise which promotes mastery of everyday work, become resourceful, develop functional literacies and craftsmanship by taking pride and thoughtfulness towards their work, and mastering a positive and resilient attitude to work.

Out of School Study Groups (OSSGs)

Whilst vocational training is a route available to adolescents who have a skill that they want to pursue, there is an OSSG option for children who still want to pursue formal education but require accelerated learning for them to join their age mates at the level where they would have been had they stayed in school. The study groups are manned by trained facilitators who work with learners to get them to where they need to be to enroll back into formal school.