Education is the cornerstone of our society, but what happens when students fall behind and struggle to keep up? Well, the Accelerated Education Program (AEP) is here to save the day! Imagine a world where every student has access to personalized support and resources that help them reach their full potential. That is exactly what AEP provides - a tailored approach to education that gives students a chance to catch up with their studies and thrive.
In this article, we explain all about the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) accelerated education programs in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps.
What is Accelerated Education?
The Accelerated Education Program (AEP) is a flexible and age-appropriate educational program that targets disadvantaged, over-aged (older than the age limit recommended for a specific grade/class), out-of-school children and youth who missed or had their education interrupted due to poverty, marginalization, conflict, and crisis.
The program is designed to provide learners with equivalent, certified competencies for basic education using effective teaching and learning approaches that are appropriate for their ages.
About NRC AEP in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps
The NRC Accelerated Education Programs in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps focus on addressing the educational needs of a specific group called Over-age Out-of-School Children (OOSC), aged 10 to 18 years
These are students who have either never been to school, dropped out before completing primary education, or have in and out of school for a long period due to various challenges such as displacement, conflict, poverty, and marginalization.
The primary goal of the program is to ensure equal access to education for both girls and boys, with special emphasis on overcoming barriers to girls' education and facilitating enrollment for children with disabilities. The program also prioritizes retention and academic performance.
How does the program work?
The program has condensed the curriculum by compressing primary subjects or using a partial curriculum that focuses on core competencies in basic Literacy and Numeracy skills in both the 8-4-4 and Competence Based Curriculum (CBC).
- In the 8-4-4 curriculum, the AEP has three levels: Level 1 condenses the curriculum content for grades 1 to 4, Level 2 condenses the content for grades 5 and 6, and Level 3 condenses the content for grades 7 and 8.
- Under the CBC, the AEP also has three levels: Level 1 condenses the curriculum content for grades 1 and 2, Level 2 covers the content for grade 3, and Level 3 condenses the content for grades 4 and 5.
The program enables learners to eventually reintegrate into formal education at appropriate grade levels (primary or secondary) or transition to other educational pathways like Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Learners who complete each level transition either to formal schooling or to the next level within the AEP, depending on the competencies acquired.
What are the benefits of the program?
- It allows students to progress at their own pace. This means that students who may have fallen behind in a traditional classroom setting can catch up quickly and get back on track.
- The program can allow students to accelerate their learning. Students who are ahead of their peers can enroll in the program to get ahead and challenge themselves further.
- It provides a more personalized approach to learning. Teachers work closely with each student to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and then create a curriculum that is tailored to their specific needs. This individualized attention allows students to learn more effectively and at a pace that suits them best.
Registration and eligibility for the program
When enrolling learners, NRC takes into consideration their age, literacy levels, previous schooling, and vulnerability criteria.
Below are the eligibility criteria to join the AEP:
- Must be between the age of 10 and 18 years
- Registered Refugee or asylum seeker with UNHCR manifest or ID card, returnees, new arrivals, youth and children with no proof of registration.
- Children/youth from the host communities.
- Must have been out of school for two years or more
Vulnerability criteria are also taken into consideration while enrolling learners. These include:
- Young mothers
- Child-headed households
- Learners with special educational needs
- Children who face difficulties in engaging with the education system due to trauma-related symptoms
- Children without birth registration documents
- Youth and children with disability(s)
Once enrollment is done, placement and competency tests are used to assess the new learners and to determine their appropriate level within the AEP or formal schooling.
Interested children/youth can physically visit any of the below AEP centers in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps accompanied by their parents/guardian/relatives, and with a copy of their identification documents such as manifest, refugee ID, national ID for members of the host communities, birth certificate etc.
Dadaab Refugee Camp
| Name of AEP Center | Camp | Location |
| Umoja AEP Center | Hagadera | Umoja Primary school, Block G6 |
| Iftin AEP Center | Hagadera | Iftin Primary School, Between Block D3 and C3 |
| Friends AEP Center | Ifo | Friends’ Primary school, Between Block G1 and G3 |
| Ifo AEP Center | Ifo | Ifo YEP, Hawajiboi, next to Safaricom Mast |
| Dagahley AEP Center | Dagahley | Dagahley Yep, next to Elnino Primary school |
Kakuma
| Name of AEP Center | Camp | Location |
| Unity AEP Center | Kakuma 1 | Mainstreamed in Unity Primary School |
| Shambe AEP Center | Kakuma 1 | Mainstreamed in Shambe Primary School |
| NRC Center | Kakuma 4 | A stand-alone AEP Center located next to JRS Learning Center, opposite WFP Food Distribution Center. |
| Eliyes AEP Centre | Kakuma 4 | Mainstreamed in Eliyes primary school |
| Al-Nuur AEP Center | Kakuma 3 | Mainstreamed in Al-Nuur primary school |
| Nationakar AEP Center | Host community | Mainstreamed in Nationakar Primary Boarding School located within the host community next to Kakuma 3 |
| Future AEP Center | Kalobeyei settlement | Mainstreamed in Future Primary School in Village 3 |
| Joy AEP Center | Kalobeyei settlement | Mainstreamed in Joy Primary School in Village 2. |
| Kalobeyel settlement AEP Center | Kalobeyei settlement | Mainstreamed in Kalobeyei Settlement Primary in Village 1 |
| Pokotom AEP Center | Host community | Mainstreamed in Pokotom Primary School located in Natirii Village |
| Kalemchuch AEP Center | Host community | Mainstreamed in Kalemchuch Primary School located within Kalemchuch Village. |
| Kalobeyei AEP Center | Host community |
Mainstreamed in Kalobeyei Primary School located in Kalobeyel host shopping center on the way to Lokichogio |
For more information, please visit any of the AEP centers listed above between Monday to Friday or call 0793293413 (Dadaab) and Toll-Free Number 088721788 (Kakuma).
If you have any questions, please write to us via the Julisha.Info Facebook page or chat with us on WhatsApp (+254110601820) Monday through Friday from 08:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.