Effective Schools for Disadvantaged and Underserved Populations

Achieving the goals of Education For All will require that countries more effectively meet the educational needs of the segments of their populations currently least able to access and succeed in school. Complementary education programs are designed specifically to extend the reach of formal public schooling in developing countries to better serve the most disadvantaged and/or remote areas. Through such programs, non-governmental actors support these underserved communities in creating and running their own schools. This paper summarizes the findings of eight case studies of complementary education programs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Honduras, Mali and Zambia. It reveals that these particular complementary models are helping address issues of access for undeserved regions in their respective countries.