Corrigendum: The practices and challenges of accelerated educational programs in North Wollo zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Education is a basic human right and the best investment that we can make to ensure a sustainable future and leave no one behind; however, millions are deprived of educational opportunities every day, many as a result of social, cultural, and economic factors (Moumne et al., 2019). The right to education requires that everyone be able to access quality education on an equal basis with others and free from discrimination. Yet, out-of-school and dropout rates have remained stubbornly high, with marginalized groups being disproportionately excluded from education (Moumne et al., 2019). Access to education is not just a matter of getting children into school; it is about keeping them there so that they can benefit from education. In addition to providing access through the provision of free education, states must also institute targeted measures to prevent at-risk students from dropping out (Moumne et al., 2019). International human rights law (IHRL) requires states to ensure that the right to education is economically accessible through two primary measures: the introduction of free and compulsory education and the reduction of dropout rates (Moumne et al., 2019).Various forms of programming can be implemented for disadvantaged out-of-school children and youth, and it is critical for programs to consider the various goals and targets of different program types in order to choose the most appropriate intervention for a specific situation (Myers & Pinnock, 2017). The most suitable responses include a bridging program, a remedial program, a catch-up program, accelerated education programs, alternative basic education, and Speed Schools (INEE, 2020). Alternative basic education programs are critically important as an emergency short-term measure for achieving Universal Primary Education by 2015, and for reaching remote rural and dispersed communities, pastoralists, and semi-agriculturalist societies (MoE, 2005). Alternative Basic Education is a type of school equivalency program for children aged 7-14, in which learners cover the equivalent of the first four grades of primary school in just three years and are then able to transition into the formal system (MoE, 2008).In Ethiopia, the Alternative Basic Education (ABE) program was introduced in 2004 as an educational strategy designed to improve access to and promote quality education for over-aged out-of-school children aged 7-14 years. The program has been run by the Regional Education Bureaus (REBs) in collaboration with various international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the community (Onwu & Agu, 2010). At the district level, there is essentially no distinction made between Alternative Basic Education, Non-Formal Education (NFE), Extension Programs, and Adult Functional Literacy Programs (Onwu & Agu, 2010). An accelerated education program is a flexible, age-appropriate program, run within an accelerated timeframe, which aims to provide access to education for disadvantaged, over-aged, out-of-school children and youth. This may include those who missed out on or had their education interrupted due to poverty, marginalization, conflict, or crisis (Myers & Pinnock, 2017). The goal of Accelerated Education Programs is to provide learners with equivalent, certified competencies for basic education using effective teaching and learning approaches that align with their level of cognitive maturity (Shah & Choo, 2020). AEPs are typically implemented to fill a critical gap in the provision of essential educational services to crisis-and conflict-affected populations and to ensure learners receive an appropriate and relevant education responsive to their life circumstances (Menendez et al., 2016). Accelerated Education (AE) programming is one of several complementary or alternative mechanisms for reaching populations poorly served by the formal education system in the first instance (Shah, Flemming & Boisvert, 2017). For children and young people who have missed out on education or had their education interrupted by conflict, crisis, poverty, or marginalization, Accelerated Education Programs (AEPs) offer a way to fulfill the global education commitment by providing equivalent, certified competencies for basic education, enabling a return to formal education at age-appropriate grades, or facilitating transitions into work or other training (Myers & Pinnock, 2017). These alternative or complementary education programs exist in various forms around the world and under diverse labels. For instance, in Ethiopia, such programs are referred to as Speed Schools, while in Ghana and Malawi they are known as Complementary Basic Education (CBE) programs (Randall, O'Donnell & Botha, 2020). The Speed Schools Program in Ethiopia, funded by Legatum and managed by Geneva Global, was introduced in 2011 in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR) (Akyeampong et al., 2018). The Speed School Program operates as follows: students who have dropped out of government primary basic and with a who had are to an basic and program (Akyeampong et al., 2018). The Speed School system a and on of out-of-school children and is to with and for enabling to the formal school system the Speed School an accelerated learning effective that learning to make learning and 2017). Speed School is an accelerated education program implemented by Geneva and funded by to out-of-school children the formal school system by three years of primary school into Speed School goal is to children aged to who have school or who have dropped out of primary school into an accelerated program that three years of in one The Speed School requires accelerated learning and a 2017). In of the Speed School a of the primary school 2017). on the and competencies the first of primary education while on Speed School program is implemented in accelerated Speed School students to their in by them with the and in the government for to Speed School and are free for 2020). Speed School is a that an accelerated education program with a community to provide out-of-school children aged to with a at formal primary education the of out-of-school children have in the program, which operates in with local et al., 2017). In Ethiopia, in there Accelerated in and by there three and 2019). In the in there a of in there In in there and in In had three In the in there and in there In in there and in a of Global, and in their Accelerated Education the for Accelerated Education at the of that with of AEPs are providing access to of over-aged, disadvantaged children and who opportunities to certified in most they to a of the a on accelerated education programming in the of and educational The that children to be of quality and for and most there are no with the for children to transition into the formal primary school in a in the in Speed An International Accelerated that Speed School and learning that promote such as and are that in the These are and has in that no have been in the The is in two with enabling and to the and of accelerated education programs in the school and school access education for out-of-school into programs in of and is in education is one of the most of and in crisis-and conflict-affected the as many factors their to access education (INEE, 2020). Education programming that and may access and et al., 2018). consider factors that out-of-school such as the to their by in and the the education program which also requires as the of and can be is for and remote rural AEPs are designed to promote access to education in an accelerated for disadvantaged, children and who have missed out on education or had their education interrupted due to crisis and conflict, poverty, and AEPs are as diverse as the they to (Menendez et al., 2016). & that AEPs provide opportunities for a that transition into formal or and relevant and for the the of and from those of formal are and while on and AEPs must also be of and community to in to the of learners with which them at of AEPs may many different types of by and in the has as a that aims to from it from to and In the education has been to and and the of in the school 2019). In have to the of and the between and These diverse the and to approaches are for learning and as as and between and is with different by critical and & 2019). on teaching and learning various types of and and is with a of & and provide in them in access to and are with a of and & & within the it be that with from the of the in in to such approaches as and that such not be at was in as we it relevant to the and the of the Accelerated Education for using a is for an of the or groups who to a or human In with that the is important to the and with typically in the and from to also states that to about human life and their with the to the AEPs in with the or of the program is effective on in the the the of and the of in the of a in which through and a a of with the Speed School education the and of the at and and those in grades four and also through are many types of by to different within different that and The to the AEPs are implemented in with the of the of the program, the and the of the program, with and using and in the the that a is a to the program has been implemented in with the of to and future is a in which the a system or through of and and a and In and and and and three at the and In the school there in and in Speed Schools, the the first from the government and the from in and The was that programs, the two and for of the of government and in the Speed School students in grades and students through as through at the and and and through The for the at and with and was that they the most or for and government programs had a and and the them as The and as The also to and the the two or three years within the The of the was to which the the to which students and the out by in the to the in on is being the of the and the of in the The was and into on The first the and the and of the to the and that through and the was the the of the in under the of the the the in with the in and the that to be are are the and to and and to of the at about the of the The that there be no benefit to and no they of in the The was also that no to the as a result of their and and from The of the was The referred to education students education and education not the and the of the school was a into a relevant from grades one to learners can four the school and the the for the teaching and learning as by the Regional Education to the system of the school one of the the of the school and there These a that at of the education and the of the Regional Education and with from Geneva different in the for from and from the also of the school the government school the was the school the for their teaching and learning the of the the that while and within the the and of by to the Speed School while with due to training and was implemented as the program however, in teaching and mechanisms the government and the out the In the the the of the teaching and learning several These providing training for and and school and learning and with level on the of the Regional Education and the Education and then providing training for the for to teaching and learning made for such as and various also in the government the that to program, made in various These and with the school and school training from who and those with for school the from the Education and to fulfill the for learning such as and to from in the and In to one of the that the of the program, as education it and it with their children learning from that it them and their in the Speed School the to the Speed School into three the the and and the to the from the the of the and basic learning in the government the with the the for the Speed School in the and government of the the on be able to in the local to the to other that training they the teaching and learning and to the and community The was the of the In the government the of was by the school school These had to the they be in the teaching have or have in teaching and learning not from the school the government other be to training for the Speed School at various to to the learning and have to the of the Speed School system with other at the to the from the at the of the program, to in the from the Education and the Regional Education to the it was that not and the on the from the to for and government the be a a as as a of the local the Speed School that can be at who be with the and local the it with the and they that the Education to due to about the quality of education. a Geneva and education that who on the from the and with the and of learners for and government had of the that the and of students in the Speed School was a of school community and district Education and These the children who the to the the that a be between and years from the have as students with be or have a be a who dropped out of school for various be a from different and and have in in the the in the through and and government had for and for the of the students In the Speed students between the of and from or no with with who had not had access to education or had dropped out for various and children from different These students also from rural and their had to in the in the government students between the of and from or no who had not had access to education or had dropped out for various and children from different These students from and rural and their had made a to in the to the and one of the the and in the and government implemented at government the to on the school at government the that the program be implemented at different such as around or learning with different it was for the and of the program, government the most for the teaching and learning of the school This was the program under the of school and education to and the program, government and to the learning there was a between the and the government for students through the of school at and from Geneva Global, with access to learning by Geneva the government was not access to learning was not to and was not or the that there many and a of to fulfill the learning and an to with various education from school to school that they are to a in a government they must and other the alternative school have are or community and government that other learning as for the teaching and learning of the school to the and of the program, it is to the program at government the and the Speed School and most the and government had students between in with age-appropriate various learning from local and and and and by and and government students and with the school system and able to their and school on the and the government school In to the government school in order to students and the to the there different of learning such as a of and to cover the of learning school that and most The provide that a different type of teaching and learning is This is also on the in the the had and and by the and by Geneva Global, which on of the the by the and the the of students in many economic such as through and and and and have For and through of them the other also made a from such as and one of the school there is an that is through the with a and and the and equal to their and and there who to as of the These not from their children to the school they to the by the and the of government school students not in many economic at the and had to in economic on the of the the of students in economic and a in their to with one the of government school students not there are to them in such in the one of the most was the of out of targeted the not just in the in the The groups community which for and This economic to and the of education that between and a learning for the by the and government school that the of the are to government and and the and and government school with commitment to in the program, from to the education with and about students the in such a of is also to the program and a of commitment to the school program, one of the school In to one of the and and the program the are from the and we a such a system was not to the from the in the there to and providing training for and other also with the of for and in the of learning and In the government school there such as in for the school program, to those by in and providing learning of the school the has in and the school program aims to such they had the opportunities as the students not have had to their education and dropping The school students about they not receive the learning and teaching their with those of the school and the to school on the from the the and government school had with the In the the in the had been a in in the program on In the government school there was a in from such as the and the through was not to and improve the the government school and education to about the with other to the to for one of the teaching and learning on and for and The in and the in the for so such to be to the from the the government and school to In the government school their children from using them as for from to their children to due to a of the of in the had with the of the program, such as about on their to the of one from the an and have been teaching for the years and to In the from the Education there is a between the of children to be in in and the of children who are and primary and children are out of school in and is that and are out of school in and and are out of school in the and the and government school programs have been by various had a the in the of the of the between and the of in economic and the of teaching and learning and the of educational access for who had not had the to receive an education or had dropped out due to various the and government school programs have been by various who the of the In the that the school program be and to include in rural of the at and the of remote and who access education the school program is the best alternative to the of to the from the the school and the between and the school between school and school of the of education, and a of teaching and learning In to one of the the school that the school program not students in the program also formal by providing and such as teaching learning and between and the from program, we work with those in the education a we can the dropout and the of quality education and the students that they and effective through their in the school In students the of the from the learning and teaching and they had the to access education, which had been due to the to for learning such as and These learning also served as a to their educational them grades and their that the made them learners and every with the to their and students that their from in groups and a of the of education. their children on future in the their not them to to school due to a of about education, and they to on a in one who from the school program and is in from a not to school they not the of teaching and learning In addition to they to through various For to work as a while with and to to to on by others in school program was and was able to have from the learning also had opportunities to training the and has a of the of education. are many children who are out of they the to they in their education. in and first students from the formal school and the school and Speed School the Speed School program has been a for children who not have a to and to learning of the government Speed School program not who out of school also students who in primary through the of in teaching and learning school the teaching in their teaching and learning to the from the dropout is a in many and such children from the and we education programs of in rural and remote or from the school are to for learning and children not have This program has such in we from government as as to the program of was to the Accelerated Education is being effective it the and the of the The of the are in to the under order to basic the of Accelerated School as the school and the system of Speed Education, to the Speed School Education program, the and of Speed School and the and of students for the Speed School program, the of the Speed School types of learning for the Speed School program, the and and the teaching and Speed School the primary school in and in learning a at in the and at in the Global, 2020). that the of and implemented from to into three and In was two for four for and four for in the the in the Speed School at and at the Speed School which that a Speed School learning a from to with a AEPs that offer provide learning at that best the which may by day, or on local (Menendez et al., and from those of formal are typically and while on and (Myers & Pinnock, 2017). The of a with an of students are to in the local to in their future and learners and Global, 2020). in to the Speed School program with at the and AEPs in emergency and learning by of the of using accelerated learning in it is by in with education (Myers & Pinnock, of the Speed School is by a of The to the Speed School into three the and and students Global, 2020). that the of the teaching and learning various such as providing training for and school and learning and and have a or and are from the community in which they This they the local and many of the Global, 2020). from that be and must to the as other they are to teaching the Speed School and the in the that be able to in the local AEPs may various types of and with in other (Myers & Pinnock, and of students with the local education within that have of out-of-school children of primary school Global, 2020). AEPs have to learners who are for the formal school system and have been education or had it interrupted due to crisis, conflict, or other These include marginalized or excluded learners and who have been an education (Menendez et al., 2016). that students in the Speed School program between the of and from had or no with access to education, had dropped out for various or from different first in the Speed School is a suitable in which to and The is to ensure the of the is and to learning Global, 2020). that and from and to In and and and in learning due to that the or provision and of is and an appropriate (Myers & Pinnock, 2017). The first for Speed School is typically a in a is the community may other local Global, 2020). as learning requires training and of community education (Myers & Pinnock, 2017). This that and at government or due to their and for and the of local education to and AEPs may and (Myers & Pinnock, Speed School program to such as and learning Global, 2020). in a of relevant such as and such as and with access to and other learning and students that using and students their and their on they learning and with to and life (Shah & Choo, of the Speed School program is to effective of and and Global, 2020). on and (Menendez et al., 2016). from that and and and learning and teaching it not be to and as as various teaching Speed School are able to into and life learning and Global, 2020). also that in order to a and collaboration with formal is collaboration and are for of AEPs work to and education that and are in with education and (Shah & Choo, 2020). from that students from education programs by to ensure in the education must be on education and that commitment is to improve the program and of children in local to the basic that is the of on in of the of the program in of many into and in The are in the for providing services is program access to education as a for and targeted out-of-school youth, school or children who had been in a formal school system (Menendez et al., 2020). the Speed School program is a strategy that aims to children return to school and there Global, 2020). The Speed School program every for has been excluded from formal education to and learning and then their in a primary school Global, program aims to to to cover the of their Speed School to primary education and transition into government et al., 2017). The also that in the school out of the in These in and as as by from the that not also a of collaboration and to the basic for the effective of accelerated education of that the in the of the Accelerated Education Program School Program to of learning and teaching and and of is is the that the and are to the Speed School and that the of and a to it is at the local level Global, of also from the of the program the and have remained to the they are of the they in the of with it and on Geneva and have been as for the of while a of has essential such as and the of of programs that students into formal education was their to enabling and sustainable mechanisms through local 2020). The of that there in and providing training for and other in for and the of and the of of school or and to and dropout (Myers & Pinnock, 2017). School formal or such as learning or school to be a to the effective transition into formal education of also that and in not or had access to and learning to which with a of and no for Speed School students from the formal on the and to learning the Accelerated Education (AE) learners to into formal education due to a of (Shah & Choo, and of the of education for that prevent from the of and that not learners the of AEPs 2020). The of that the program with or their their children being which to with and as poverty, and to disproportionately learners in many of the AEPs (Shah & Choo, in AEPs are on a basis and are not in have to with many for the of that was a as many and alternative (Shah, Flemming & Boisvert, 2017). a programs are being with