Education for Empowerment of Special needs Children (EESC)

Project Title

Overview of the project

A community-based Education Program called “Education for Empowerment of Special needs Children (EESC)” will be established in Sadar Upazilla in Jessore district, will be conducted to develop the special needs children through inclusive formal education and different skill training where child rights, human values and morality development will be focused on.

According to different UN body’s study, in our Country 7.7% of total population are special needs people. They are either physically or mentally disabled. This project will focus on providing education, skill training, morality and values development to the physically disabled children who are 5-18 years old. 50 number of special needs children will be included in this project for the one year. These special needs children will be divided in to two categories 25 children who will be 5-9 years of age and 25 children will be 10-18 years of age. The younger group of special need children will receive formal inclusive education in convention primary school and elder group will be under non-formal basic education for six month and rest of the six month they will receive skill training (structure or apprentice)

Rural Reconstruction Foundation (RRF) a fore runner NGO will implement this project with its 28 year seasoned experienced especially in both formal and non-formal education area. This project will belong to RRF’s existing education Program. RRF will operate with 3 full time staff members and 2 Volunteers. Base line survey, PRA, monitoring, supervision and periodic evaluation will be conducted by RRF’s own respective department.

After success completion of this project 25 number of special needs children will be able to read, write, calculate deliberately and earn money to survive which will make them empowered and 25 number of special need children will be part of mainstreaming education. After putting of the financial support of the donor RRF will incorporate this project its existing education program and will continue it with the assistance of community. With the lesson learnt from this project RRF will extend its educational activity with different dimension.

Rationale

According to the latest statement of the Bangladesh government it is emerged that 14 corer 23 lakh people live in our country where the density of population is 964 per square kilometer in fact so horrible. The different UN body say 7.7% of total population are special needs people whereas the special needs children are seriously vulnerable in terms of education, different types of abuse, skill and Child Rights whatsoever. In various study and journal we see this particular group especially the children are mostly deprived from education, dignity, social and human rights, in fact they are isolated from the society that means from the mainstream of the society. These scenario or situation obstacle the development of the country as well as they have been becoming a huge burden since over the years. Indeed it will not be a appropriate thinking of the country excluding these huge number of human being we can change our society unless or until they will be equipped taking part of the mainstream of the entire development process. We have to reach to the EFA Goals which belong to MDG for becoming a develop country. And we have to utilize this particular group for the sustainable development. In Jessore District it is very hardly found any activities are promoted for the development of special needs children. Some initiative must be served for this particular deprived group. In the connection with this belief Rural Reconstruction Foundation intended to conduct such a significant project in Sadar Upazila in Jessore District with its seasoned experience. In fact we are seeking for a room to facilitate them with a crucial role play by providing education to enhance their human values. It will be based upon sustainable community development approach where the community’s change agents will play a vital role and we facilitate the entire project.

Project Goals

For the socio-economic development of Bangladesh put the special needs children in the mainstream of the society by raising their dignity through educational and skill development.

Project Objectives

To aware the communities change agents so that they can contribute in the sustainable development process.
To improve the access to education and livelihood for the special needs children.
To boost up the confident level of under privileged and marginalized family by income generating activity.
To increase the literacy rate in particular area.
To built asset from the burden by providing education and skill training in case of special needs children.

Program Description

Intervention-1:

From the very outset of the project starting, the disabled children will be screened out through using PRA tools i.e. FGD, Unstructured Interview, Survey and will select the beneficiaries considering the livelihood, socio-economic condition, in fact who are in the below poverty line in our national context.

Intervention-2:

Conduct a workshop for planned discharge*;* for a successful reintegration into the community development agent, ensuring that the home environment is as safe and accessible as possible and that local residents are educated about disability, its causes and consequences

Intervention-3:

The special needs children who are 5-9 year old will be enrolled in conventional formal school to ensure full range of general education for one year long along with non-disabled children in formal primary school where inclusive education is mandatory ruled by government and we shall provide them all the educational materials i.e. text book, exercise book, pencil, school bag, school dress, umbrella, school shoes, tuition fees and so on. In this case 25 number of special needs children will be considered.

The rest of 25 number of special needs children who are at the age between 10-18 years have competency in terms of literacy but dropped out from the school anyway will be enrolled in special education center instead of regular formal school and a six month long non formal basic education course will be provided them so that they will be able to obtain the abilities to listen, think, spell, write, speak, read and do mathematical calculation deliberately. In this case all the educational materials and tuition fees will be provided without any contribution of target group.

Intervention-4:

besides the inclusive education for 5-9 years old and routine non formal education for 10-18 years old special needs children, In special education center twice in a week some different type of simulated teaching-learning activities will be provided to the all special needs children to evolve their social, moral, values and cultural development with expert facilitator. At the afternoon these activities will be done. Because, Children who do get enrolled in the normal schools are often neglected and are sitting in the back of the class without a possibility to learn at their own speed. Again, parents are not raising their voice to change this, because they risk being sent away. The IED program does not guarantee that the child will be able to learn at his own speed. Disabled children are not getting the additional attention they require due to the large class size.

Those from 10 - 18 will receive non-formal education, in the centre itself. After completing the six month course a program of skills training will be available for children over 10, so that they will be able to earn money to support their family and afford further education themselves. The skill training could be in house or apprentice basis will be depended on trades and effectiveness.

Intervention-5:

After providing skill training the trained children will be linked with different service providing employer or if they will be interested in self-employing will be linked with credit support organizations. 5-9 years old special needs children will be connected with formal school in inclusive formal education will be monitored by our organization’s educational personnel.

Strategy:

The best way to achieve the goals will be through education. Challenging the children to develop themselves and by giving them a chance to come out of their isolation and mean something for their environment. This is why we want to set up a centre for special education with multidiscipline support for physical disabilities.

Project Timeline

02 Years