Save the Children Sierra Leone (Accelerated Education Principles Field Studies) Case Study Report
The AEWG is an inter-agency working group made up of education partners working in Accelerated Education (AE). The AEWG is currently led by UNHCR with representation from UNICEF, USAID, NRC, Plan, IRC, Save the Children, ECCN, and War Child Holland. Based on the aim for a more standardized approach to AE provision globally, the AEWG has begun to develop guidance materials based on international standards and sound practice for AE. In 2016, the AEWG developed a set of 10 Principles for effective practice, as well as an accompanying Guide.
The purpose of this case study was to more fully understand the relevance, usefulness, and application of the AE Principles and Guide within the context of Save the Children's (SC) Accelerated Education Programme (AEP) in Sierra Leone. This case study sits among three others—two from Kenya and one from Afghanistan—all implemented by different actors and working with different populations of learners. The research was guided by three objectives:
- Identify the current and/or perceived utility and relevance of the AE Principles and Guide to SC's programme in Sierra Leone;
- Describe the alignment of the SC programme with the AE Principles by speaking to a range of stakeholders and reviewing programme documentation; and
- Identify if there is a link between alignment with the Principles and achievement of key AEP outcomes related to access, completion, and attainment of qualifications.
It is important to note that the intent of this research is not to evaluate programmes or compare them against each other, nor is it to specify recommendations or areas of improvement for SC's activities. Rather, this case study (and others) helps to illustrate the possibilities and challenges of using the Principles and accompanying Guide in the development, refinement, and assessment of AE programmes in Sierra Leone, and with populations and contexts similar to that in which the SC programme operates.