Children in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza lack access to quality early childhood and primary education, missing critical opportunities to develop the cognitive and soft skills they need to meet their full potential.
The Basic Education Activity (BEA) worked closely with local organizations and stakeholders to strengthen non-governmental education services and improve the wellbeing and learning outcomes of children in kindergarten through grade 6.
Non-governmental, local and emerging private kindergarten sectors provide critical access to early childhood education, and local organizations work closely with communities to offer remediation and enrichment for primary school children. Yet these actors need support to expand services and improve quality to achieve learning outcomes.
Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Basic Education Activity supported service providers to strengthen early childhood and primary educational opportunities through high-quality early childhood education services and supplemental support structures. The partners strengthened foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy and soft skills; built teachers’ and students’ capabilities and assets in resilience; and strengthened pathways from non-formal to formal education.
Creative Associates International implemented the project with local partners that have in-depth experience and relationships. Juzoor for Health and Social Development helped plan improvements for private kindergarten centers, engaged parents as ECE champions, trained facilitators to lead community learning sessions, and conducted campaigns on early childhood education, play-based learning, language learning, disability stigma, nutrition, trauma, and discipline. Al Nayzak Organization for Supportive Education & Scientific Innovation enhanced content and access to its Yalla Neqra literacy app while improving and promoting remedial and extracurricular education activities.
Program Achievements
During their most sensitive period of learning and development, young children need access to high-quality early childhood education to develop the cognitive and social-emotional skills they need to be successful. BEA created and supported quality learning environments for preschoolers, developed toolkits and frameworks to support the social and emotional needs of children, and trained educators on effective, flexible and needs-based teaching.
Recognizing the importance of nongovernmental, community-based or private education centers, BEA aimed to support these structures to improve children’s learning outcomes. BEA identified gaps in students’ academic environments in order to strengthen teaching and learning materials and remedial and after-school education programs. The program forged strong alliances with local partners to expand extracurricular activities and skill-building opportunities to reach all children, including those with disabilities.
