Teaching methods are learner-centred and participatory, using music, dance, art, games and storytelling. Teachers are recruited locally and the community is involved in developing timetables, choosing the site for the school and providing labour and materials to build the classrooms. BRAC schools have flexible schedules that ensure compatibility with rural life. Since 2003, BRAC schools have been run with an underlying inclusive philosophy: “Inclusion is an approach which addresses the needs of all learners in ordinary classroom situations, including learners with special needs, indigenous children, children with disabilities, girl children and poor children”. They are usually run at a time convenient for the students some schools start as early as 6 a.m. The schools are usually one-roomed bamboo or mud houses and are located within a one-kilometre radius of the students' homes.

The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) operates over 50 000 pre-primary and primary schools throughout Bangladesh, serving more than 1.5 million children. Non-formal education can be preparatory, supplementary or an excellent alternative (where necessary) to formal schooling for all children.įacilitating fun and flexible learning environments While non-formal education is often considered a second-best option to formal education, it should be noted that it can provide higher-quality education than that available in formal schools. Inclusion in a regular school should be prioritized as every child's right. However, CBR personnel need to be aware that non-formal education reinforces marginalization and stigmatization, so if possible it should not be offered as the only educational option for children with disabilities. For the purposes of these guidelines, this element focuses on non-formal education for children and young people outside the regular school system. It includes accredited courses run by well-established institutions as well as locally based operations with little funding.Īs non-formal education is diverse, this element has many aspects in common with other elements, particularly Lifelong learning. It refers to a wide range of educational initiatives in the community, ranging from home-based learning to government schemes and community initiatives. Non-formal education is often used interchangeably with terms such as community education, adult education, lifelong education and second-chance education. Non-formal education refers to education that occurs outside the formal school system.

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