Non-Formal Education programme (NFE) aims at increasing access to safe, quality, and protective education opportunities in/out camp settings to affected girls and boys through various modalities. Non-Formal Education (NFE) create a learning pathway specifically for children who are out of school and cannot access the formal system, either due to distance from schools, lack of available space within the local system, or their inability to join their peers due to time spent out of school and needing extra support to catch up.
NFE provides a stepping-stone entry modality back into the more formal learning track. Students are assessed and have the ability to participate in remedial programming, at which point they either attempt to join a local formal education option or continue with the next level of NFE, which is a multi-subject curriculum, based on the Syrian Official Curriculum.
NFE activities are provided through community centres that provide a safe space for children. Resource support will include the distribution of teaching and learning materials, teacher’s incentives, trainings, and on-the-job support for education personnel. Collaboration with the PSS teams and the referral system will help teachers and caregivers to identify students at risk of dropping out and getting them the specialised support, they might need as a preventative measure.
Teachers receive relevant NFE trainings such as TiCC (Teachers Training in Crisis Context) focusing on pedagogy, classroom management in addition to children wellbeing, inclusion, and creating a safe learning environment for children. Also, SoC training was provided to NPA staff, partner organisations, and other social workers on how to use the power of the music model in their work with children and young people. SoC team has developed, together with the team members, a curriculum (toolkit) tailored to the needs of children and young learners in the target location.
Sounds of Change approach (Music for Change) training SoC model provides unstructured PSS, fosters emotion regulation, and establishes a sense of belonging, compassionate communication, and collaboration through music and creative expression targeting children and survivors of ISIS.
Digitalization is an integrative part of NFE programme. The use of digital tools in education programme helps to build children and young resilience to VE thinking, foster a positive sense of identity and belonging, normalise children back to their community, and engage them in the formal education system. The use of digital tools will help creating a more welcoming and engaging environment for children through digital games and quizzes as a start.
The use of technology (tablets, TV screens, speakers, projectors etc) will enhance children’s learning side by side of the traditional learning methods. Furthermore, it will introduce children (especially affected by ISIS) to the use of technology in daily life activities and will open their minds to new skills and opportunities. For example, in designing game the team took into consideration to use bright colours that appeals to children in contrast to the prevalent black colour during ISIS control in the affected communities. Also, the team made sure the colours are suitable for all children from both genders avoiding biases (for example, pink for girls and blue for boys) as much as possible to create a child friendly and welcoming experience for both girls and boys. The development of Digitalization and digital tools will be provided through a tech-based consultancy (Skills House Company).
