Association of Christian Schools International
OPEN SCHOOL
O ffers open and free access to education,
P rovides instruction through trained volunteers, and
E ncourages hope through,
N eeds based literacy, numeracy, health, and life skills teaching.
O ffers open and free access to education,
P rovides instruction through trained volunteers, and
E ncourages hope through,
N eeds based literacy, numeracy, health, and life skills teaching.
Offers open and free access to education
Open School is offered free of charge to children who have become educationally marginalised through poverty, the need to work for survival, the time constraints of caring for family or through other circumstances beyond their control which have made their attendance at traditional school either impossible or very infrequent.
Typically our learners have some or all of the following characteristics
Open School is offered free of charge to children who have become educationally marginalised through poverty, the need to work for survival, the time constraints of caring for family or through other circumstances beyond their control which have made their attendance at traditional school either impossible or very infrequent.
Typically our learners have some or all of the following characteristics
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Children aged 7 – 15
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In urban areas, they are most likely be street children
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In rural areas, they are most likely to be orphans or children caring for their siblings or sick parents
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They have never attended school and are unable to read and write
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Learners who have attended school but have a large gap in their education may also benefit from the programme if they need to go back to basics and are unable to read or write
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Provides instruction through trained volunteers
Open School Worldwide staff, working from resource centres at ACSI member schools, train and support local volunteer teachers, recruited from churches or the schools:
Open School Worldwide staff, working from resource centres at ACSI member schools, train and support local volunteer teachers, recruited from churches or the schools:
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The volunteers may be senior citizens, early retired, or people with free time, they may also be senior learners from a Christian school
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They will not usually be trained teachers
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They must be competent in reading and writing English
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They may know little about street children or orphans but will be given some initial training
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They are offered specialised help when needed
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They must commit to serve a small group of children for at least one year
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Encourages hope
Education builds self confidence and equips children to better face the future, but that is not the only hope the program encourages. The literacy and mathematics curriculum is called “Count Me In” to convey the good news that, while society may have neglected the learners, God certainly has not. Each one is special because they are loved by God and He wants them to be “counted in to” His Kingdom. We offer the program to children of any faith and place no pressure on them to accept Christ, but our volunteers clearly and practically demonstrate God’s love.
Education builds self confidence and equips children to better face the future, but that is not the only hope the program encourages. The literacy and mathematics curriculum is called “Count Me In” to convey the good news that, while society may have neglected the learners, God certainly has not. Each one is special because they are loved by God and He wants them to be “counted in to” His Kingdom. We offer the program to children of any faith and place no pressure on them to accept Christ, but our volunteers clearly and practically demonstrate God’s love.
Needs based literacy, mathematics, health, and life skills teaching
The core element of the “School-in-a-Bag” is a basic literacy and mathematics course called “Count Me In” specially developed in South Africa. ACSI produced the material in consultation with educators and street workers experienced in working with educationally marginalised children. We field tested with street children in four different locations in South Africa. ACSI designed the material to be interactive, enjoyable and taking into account the short attention span normal to unschooled children. The programme cannot offer the full range of activities available to learners in full-time schooling but aims to meet the learners’ needs by bringing them to a point where they are able to enter the field of work or return to school.
All the materials are designed to be used by non-teachers and require some training.
The core element of the “School-
All the materials are designed to be used by non-
Christ-centred, child focused
The materials we offer are intended to enrich the teaching of Truth--God’s Word revealed through Scripture as well as through creation. Our volunteers are trained and expected to model a Christian mind and life in their teaching and leading. Our vision is that each child should be enabled to reach their full potential in Christ.
The materials we offer are intended to enrich the teaching of Truth-
Operates in an informal setting
The traditional school model requires children to attend a set location at a time and place fixed by the institution. Unfortunately, children who are forced to work through poverty, or who have to care for ill parents or orphaned siblings simply do not have the time to fit into this rigid system. Open School is delivered through short lessons on a flexible timetable arranged to best meet the needs of the learners. We have also designed the material so that it can be delivered to the learners at place most convenient for them. Learning can take place on the street, under a village tree, in the open air, at their home or at a local church.
The traditional school model requires children to attend a set location at a time and place fixed by the institution. Unfortunately, children who are forced to work through poverty, or who have to care for ill parents or orphaned siblings simply do not have the time to fit into this rigid system. Open School is delivered through short lessons on a flexible timetable arranged to best meet the needs of the learners. We have also designed the material so that it can be delivered to the learners at place most convenient for them. Learning can take place on the street, under a village tree, in the open air, at their home or at a local church.
Organized and individualized learning system
Our volunteer teachers are trained to use a specially designed Learning Management System which aims to track each learner’s progress and also keep them motivated.
The system components can include:
Our volunteer teachers are trained to use a specially designed Learning Management System which aims to track each learner’s progress and also keep them motivated.
The system components can include:
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A regularly updated database with attendance record
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A record of academic progress
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A learners Profile to monitor changes in the learner’s attitude to their peers, themselves, education, authority and God
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A learning contract describing the behaviour expected and agreed to by each learner
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Locally networked resource centres
Open Schools Worldwide recognise that the children we seek to serve have needs that are not just educational. Our resource centre managers actively seek to network with all the agencies serving marginalised children in their locality to ensure that the various needs of each individual child can be managed in a coordinated, skilled and appropriate manner.
Open Schools Worldwide recognise that the children we seek to serve have needs that are not just educational. Our resource centre managers actively seek to network with all the agencies serving marginalised children in their locality to ensure that the various needs of each individual child can be managed in a coordinated, skilled and appropriate manner.
Open School enables ACSI member schools, Christian partner organisations and churches to serve educationally marginalised children through a network of resource centres at strategic locations worldwide.
Staff [Photographs] at these centres train volunteers to operate “Open School” using “Count Me In” (a basic literacy and mathematics curriculum) and other materials in a “School-in-a-Bag” to teach out-of-school children such as street children, orphans and child labourers.
Staff [Photographs] at these centres train volunteers to operate “Open School” using “Count Me In” (a basic literacy and mathematics curriculum) and other materials in a “School-