Fantu holds a large leaf as an umbrella for her and 5 year-old Tadelu as they leave school during an approaching rain storm in Ethiopia.

Access to quality basic education builds a brighter future.Yet today, some 72 million children are out of school, of whom 41 million are girls. Poverty and rural isolation, exacerbated by global crises in health, security, and economic development, present formidable challenges. Ongoing global assistance for community-based education is needed to ensure that children in the world’s poorest nations—girls and boys alike—are going to school and succeeding despite the odds. Such commitment will build a promising future for children and their families, communities, and whole nations.

With more than 70 years’ experience working at the community level in some of the poorest, most unstable parts of the world, our basic education interventions are intended to ensure that educational opportunities are available to all. We especially target the most vulnerable children, including those affected by HIV/AIDS, orphans, mobile populations, and those affected by on-going conflict and other crises across the world.

Save the Children works to meet the learning needs of the world’s most vulnerable school-aged children by:

• Equipping communities to design and manage schools characterized by  high student achievement, parent participation, gender equity, inclusion, and safety
• Offering alternative education and solving the problems that keep children out of school
• Advocating for policy change at local, district, and national levels in support of Education for all

Read more about basic education solutions that work

Last updated October 2008