Education Support Program

Introduction
Education Support Program (ESP) of BRAC began its activities in 1991 to mobilize partnership for non-formal Primary Education (NFPE) and augmenting efforts towards the eradication of illiteracy from Bangladesh. It was proved earlier that BRAC’s NFPE was cost effective, relevant for social change with regard to the position of girls and could provide the basis for solution to the problems of primary education in rural area. The poor of the poorest community in Chandina upzila demanded NFPE for their children. To work in demand driven approach the management of DISA sought fund for NFPE for the poor community of Chandina upazila. As a result, DISA is executing NFPE program with the support from ESP, BRAC since 2001.

Goal
The goal of Education Support Program (ESP) is “to form partnership for non-formal primary education with organizations working in Bangladesh and to develop their technical, conceptual and human skills to replicate BRAC’s NFPE model successfully.” 

Objective
The main objectives of the program are to:

• Build partnership between ESP, BRAC and DISA for non-formal primary education.
• Develop capacity of DISA to replicate BRAC’s NFPE model.
• Ensure women’s participation in the implementation and management of primary education program.
• Minimize wastage of time, money and human lives in primary educational enterprises in Bangladesh.
• Promote girls education and
• Support national efforts towards basic education for all.

Target people
The children who have never been enrolled in school or are dropouts having no literacy or numeracy and those who belong to the age group 8 to 10 years. Seventy percent of the total children must be girl and children belonging to the poor and deprived families must be priority.

Area coverage
The non-formal primary education program is being implemented at Barkait, Chandina and Maizkhar union.
 
Programme implementatio
Total 300 children where 70% are girls participated in the education programme by 5 schools. The curriculum was for 3 years. Five teachers took the responsibility of 300 children through 5 schools for their qualitative education. The schools were sited for 3 hours daily. Monthly parents meeting were held in every month. Discussion on children’s progress, participation in class session and the responsibility of the parents in household level were the major agenda of the meeting. To implement the quality of the education all teachers participated in the refresher course for effective education in every month. To provide qualitative inputs was the major agenda of the refresher course. All students of the school except special reason attended the school regularly. The teacher of the concern school responsible for attendance of the students in the school and that is why house visit to absent children was mandatory for the teacher in regular basis. After 3 days absence of one child the PO visits and motivate the parents and the student as well.