As the mainstreaming of child and youth participation in development gains momentum, NGOs, donors and development partners can work together to contribute to a harmonised approach to participatory, inclusive efforts and thereby work towards development of a country. The overall goal of the child development and education initiatives is to make it possible for children to participate effectively in learning activities that are appropriate for each stage of childhood. This will enable them to develop mentally and socially, so they can become creative, responsible members of society. But due to poverty, discrimination, the quality of the education on offer, millions of children are deprived from basic education. Some 47.6 million or 30 percent of the total 158.5 million people in Bangladesh are young (10-24 years). The dividend comes as resources are freed for economic development, and for greater per-capita spending on higher quality health and education services. Alike children young population faces similar constrains like poverty, discrimination (gender, socio-economic status etc), inadequate education, however some external variables like: paucity of proper macro-economic management, open trade, good governance and well-functioning labour and financial markets to expand employment of young people, availability of drugs, unavailable basic services (health, shelter, food) are the unambiguous reasons behind less involvement of the youth group in contributing to the social as well as economic development of Bangladesh.
Objectives:
- To protect the rights of the children and reduce their vulnerability and threat from family, society or any other people or groups.
- To create an enabling environment for their physical and mental growth and to make their future bright.
- To ensure the equitable quality education for all types of children, especially who are from deprived and disadvantages communities through formal, non-formal, technical and life-skill education.
- To promote use of information technology in education and learning mechanism for preparing to address global needs and challenges.
- To motivate young people for creating active citizen, volunteerism and protect them from violence, extremism and anti-social activities.
Programme Participants are mostly deprived and vulnerable children and youth-
- who are living in socially excluded community
- member of Ethnic Minorities
- who are living in disaster risk areas.
- Who are living in urban street and Slum
- drop-out students
Strategies and Actions:
- Promotion of inclusive and equitable education for all types of Children and youth for ensuring their enrollment and retention in education.
- Promote vocational or technical education for self-employment and job creation at domestic and global market
- Promote and initiate technological innovation in education system and use of IT in learning mechanism.
- Promoting volunteerism and active citizenship of youth.
- Awareness creation among parents, society, employers about the consequences of risky child labor.
- Improve health services for the working children, children with disabilities etc.
- Networking and partnership with education service institutions at sub-national and national level
- Engagement of local government for children and youth development and protection.
- Capacity building of network members and education service provider on quality and inclusive education
- Awareness raising of guardians, children on the education of the children
- Enhance community participation in child education system.
- Policy advocacy through research and campaign