Education

A child’s education is critical to their success

The Definition

Education Defined

On December 10th, 1948, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. This document laid out every human’s fundamental human rights, including our right to education. It states that every individual regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion or political preference, age or disability is entitled to a free elementary education.

UN: Article 26

The United Nations defines the right to education below

1. Right

Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

2. Understanding

Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

3. Choice

Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Why is Education so Important?

It promotes individual freedom and empowerment.

It is essential for achieving all other human rights.

It brings significant economic returns for a country.

It helps societies to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development.

It lifts economically and socially marginalized adults and children out of poverty.

Fact:

Education is a Human Right

Reasons Why Children are Out of School

Millions of children globally are struggling to get to school and stay there due to numerous, and sometimes overwhelming, obstacles. 

Child Labor

According to the International Labor Organization, more than 150 million children aged five to 17 – half of them under 11 – are victims of forced labor.

Children with no access to quality education have little alternative but to enter the labor market, where they are often forced to work in dangerous and exploitative conditions.

Child Marriage

Early marriage makes completing education nearly impossible for young girls and is too often seen as a higher priority than going to school.

Globally, the total number of girls married in childhood is estimated at 12 million per year. This has devastating consequences on their health and education.

Clean Water

It’s estimated that every year, children lose 443 million school days due to water related illnesses.

Having access to clean water greatly increases a child’s opportunity for an education. This can often be overlooked but remember that dirty water kills 5,000 children every day.

Conflict

Armed conflict destroys school infrastructure, leaving millions of children with limited to no access to education.

UNICEF estimates that 48.5 million children worldwide are missing school because of wars and conflicts.

Disability

It’s estimated that 90% of children living with a disability in a developing country are not in school.

Barriers include stigma, a lack of understanding the child’s needs, a lack of teacher training, non-accessible school environments, and a general lack of resources.

Exploitation

As children, vulnerabilities to exploitation are a constant and can have devastating lifelong effects beginning with their education being taken away.

Some exploitations include recruitment into armed militias, sex trafficking, child labor and child marriages.

Gender Inequality

The United Nations reports that girls are less likely to attend school than boys due to additional barriers including early pregnancy, child marriage, periods, violence, and harassment.

It’s common for girls to be marginalized simply because their culture perceives them as less “valuable” than boys. Parents do not want to invest in their education because they will eventually be married off and start a family.

Natural Disaster

Nearly 37 million children have their education disrupted each year because of environmental threat or disaster.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and landslides can derail schooling for millions of children. They can damage infrastructure, destroy communities, and force schools to be used as temporary shelters.

Poverty

Poverty prevents millions of children the right to education.

Families living in poverty too often cannot provide basic needs, like adequate nutrition, to support their child’s ability to learn. To relieve financial stress, parents encourage boys to work and girls to get married early.

Did You Know...

About 258 million children and youth are out of school, according to UIS data for the school year ending in 2018. The total includes 59 million children of primary school age, 62 million of lower secondary school age and 138 million of upper secondary age.

The Facts

Knowing the facts is the first step to making meaningful changes in the world. 

According to UNESCO, Girls make up 53 percent of the global population of children that are out of school.

According to the 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report, 758 million adults in the world are illiterate because they have never received any education.

Southern Asia is home to more than one-half of the global illiterate population (51 percent).

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The School Project

We believe English education has the power to break the cycle of injustice and lack of opportunity in a family’s life and give a child a chance in the ever-growing, modern South Asia and world.

Therefore, we educate our children in a high-quality, English-medium school. One where English is the primary language used during instruction.

Our school provides:

  • Local teachers
  • International board and influence
  • Computer training
  • Extracurricular activities (sports, dance, music)
  • Counseling
  • Life skills training (cooking, agriculture)

In addition, we provide on-campus, safe-housing; known as a hostel. This includes:

  • House moms that truly care for our children
  • Nutritional, warm, tasty meals and snacks
  • All clothing and school needs provided for
  • Medical care
  • Study time and play time
  • Safety and security

We strongly believe in working together to make a difference. It takes many voices to speak into one person’s life. We welcome teams, especially with international persons, to love on our children, to teach them new things, to give our children exposure to the “outside” world, and to practice their English-speaking. 

We understand that the child will have a decision to make once they graduate. Will they return to the life they saw when they were a little child? Or, do they take everything they have been given, a changed destiny, and go change other destinies? Our dream is that through their years at our school and home, these children will take prominent jobs in society and change the world for the good. We are committed to their safety even as they transition into a dignified profession in the real world.

“When I grow up, I want to be a doctor so that I can help other people like the doctor did for my mom.” – Student, grade 6

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Night Program

On any given night the babies of sex workers are exposed to an unimaginable amount of atrocities and dangers. Often these little ones are physically and verbally abused, drugged to keep quiet through the night, left to wander the streets alone, or left lying next to their mother as she takes in client after client. These children are some of the most vulnerable. 

In partnership with a trusted organization, we have started a night shelter for these precious babies under the age of five. This night care provides:

  • A safe place to sleep 
  • An open place to play 
  • A clean place to bathe 
  • A nutritious meal to eat

Having this night care shelter also provides the opportunity to connect with more women in the red-light areas. The more women we connect with allows us to hear more of their needs and desires and hopefully provide a solution to change their destiny. 

We are in no way in support of what these women do every night. However, we care for the child who is otherwise left alone in their most vulnerable state. We care for the child that is forgotten. We care for the child that did not choose this life. 

Our hope is that through this night care and through the relationships built, the mothers will want to send their children to our residential school. 

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Beauty Program

Vocational Training-

We believe vocational training can ignite forgotten dreams and give the opportunity for a bright future with a dignified career. One injustice we work with is human trafficking and sexual slavery. Many women are stuck in this trade because of illegal debt, while many others are stuck because of their limited, to no, education. Vocational training empowers these women to fight for their future. They too have a right to education.

Our beauty program launched in response to many women’s interest in this skill. They spoke, we listened. They dreamed, we responded.

This training includes:

  • Intro to Beauty Course
    • Beauty (facials, nail care)
    • Haircutting
    • Makeup
    • Life skills
  • Advanced Training Course
    • Haircutting
    • Hair color
    • Texture services
    • Life skills
“I love school. This school is different. When I come here, I feel at peace. It feels like family.” ~2019 Student