Sports practices and teams, with recognition of gender issues.Cultural activities such as music, dance or drama.Consult with children, youth, parents and community groups.Links should always be made to connect with the formal education system, reinforcing learning and facilitating return to the classroom.Identify volunteers and community members who are willing to be involved in non-formal education who have specific skills or knowledge to share.Identify a safe physical space for activities which children can access safely.Ensure that a non-formal education programme complements rather than competes with existing formal education provision and encourages access to formal education.Why are children out of school, and what times would they be available to attend non-formal education programmes, and how often?.Which children are not able to access education, and which issues do children need support with?.
How to set up a non-formal education programme To supplement formal schooling of emergency-affected children and youth with subjects relevant to their protection, wellbeing and psychosocial needs.To provide emergency-affected out of school children and youth with educational activities that meet their needs and interests.When you have capacity to deliver regular work with children and have experience of working with children or young people.When children are out of school or there are topics or activities that would benefit their recovery which cannot be covered in formal education.Even in the early stages of an emergency, non-formal education activities can be organised quickly to provide children with positive ways to spend their time until other, more formal, options are put into place.When should we use non-formal education programmes? To read about non formal education in action, click the picture below: Onwards and Upwards, Jordan – World Relief Non-formal education can reinforce children’s self-esteem and help to find ways for them to contribute to their community. An alternative that can reach some of the students is to offer extracurricular non-formal learning activities.
Non-formal education activities can also be used to provide additional support to children who are in school. The short length of school days in most early emergency situations makes it difficult to add more subjects to the curriculum. Non-formal educational activities give out-of-school children and youth access to structured learning, reinforce their self-esteem and help them find ways to contribute to their communities.