Second Chance Schools
These schools are aimed at working children who cannot attend regular classes. There are more than 42 million children between 5 and 17 years of age working to contribute to their families’ income in Bangladesh. The elimination of child labor is a long-term strategy which Intervida works on, but its immediate effect would be to reduce family income and proliferate poverty. As such, international entities work on two parallel policies: the eradication of child labor and the reduction of the immediate effects of this by providing children with the education they otherwise won’t receive.
In Intervida’s Second Chance Schools in Bangladesh, the children receive an informal education in accordance with their academic level in order to compensate for their schools absenteeism. The children receive education and training so that they can also be aware of their rights, while preparing themselves for adulthood.
These schools are currently in operation in five suburbs of Dhaka.