Education is a right. Although enshrined in the Convention on Human Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, some 68 million primary-school-age children are still denied this right. In most cases, poverty prevents children from attending school.
SOS Children's Villages places central value on education and works to provide educational assistance to children growing up in children's villages, those participating in any form of family strengthening program, and all vulnerable children and young people in the communities we work in.
In Europe, the children and young people of the SOS Children's Villages attend local schools and make use of existing education and training facilities. However, outside of Europe and in regions where there are SOS Children's Villages, the education system is often inadequate due to a lack of state assistance and financial funds.
Thus, in some cases, educational support comprises of ensuring access to education, for instance by assisting children and families to meet school fees and the costs of school supplies and uniforms. In other cases, where school facilities are not available, SOS Children's Villages runs kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and vocational centers. All Hermann Gmeiner Schools - often regarded as model schools in the country of their location - are state recognized and teach according to the applicable national curricula.