Child Workers Get a Unique Second Chance at Education

Child labor, conflict, poverty, and Covid-related closures stopped many children in Ethiopia from completing a typical school progression – but thanks to a speed-education program, the same children now have a second chance at getting a formal education and rejoining their peers. 

The educational charity Luminos Fund created the 10-month program in an effort to allow children who have either never attended school or dropped out the ability to rejoin the mainstream classes after a bit of catching up. “We really work with the most vulnerable children at the margins, who have been denied the chance to learn,” said Caitlin Baron, founder and chief executive of Luminos Fund. 

The Luminos program was launched about a decade ago and has since helped 130,000 vulnerable children access education. Additionally, the Ethiopian government began replicating the program after seeing its success, with over 200,000 children across Ethiopia attending a speed school in 2020 alone. Research has found that three-quarters of students who attended a speed school have remained in school six years later, putting them on track to receive a full schooling education.