Access to Education for Returnees, IDPs and Host children from Nangarhar and Kandhahar Provinces SCI has been operating in Afghanistan since 1976, and is currently implementing various projects under Education, Child Protection, Health and Nutrition, Livelihoods and DRR in nine provinces of Afghanistan including the proposed target provinces of Nangarhar and Kandahar. Since July 2016, Afghanistan has witnessed an influx of returnees from Pakistan and Iran, most of whom are settling in Nangarhar, Kandahar and Kabul provinces. Based on various assessments conducted, these returnees are in need of immediate humanitarian support to address their food, shelter, health, education and protection. 

SCI held initial discussions with PED/DED under the Ministry of Education to identify the actual needs of education within public schools and the wider community. Further consultations and discussions by DED and school head teachers indicate a gap in the provision of education services for the Returnees and IDP communities, as well as challenges for host communities who live a significant distance from the nearest public school.
The proposed project is aimed at providing access to education to a total 4500 children from Returnees, IDPs and Host communities, including 3000 children (50% girls) in Behsud and Kuzkunar districts of Nangarhar and 1500 children(40%cgirls) from Kandahar city in Kandahar province. Based on the information from DED Kandahar and Head Teachers of the schools from targeted areas, a total 17021 children are out of schools. The project will enroll out of schools children those are identified by DED and schools.
The project will establish up to 100 Temporary Learning Classes (TLCs) for returnees, IDPs and host children from Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces, including additional classrooms in existing schools and the creation of Community Based Education (CBE) classes at community level where distances to existing schools are too great. Furthermore, the project will provide teaching and learning materials to TLCs and public schools, and recruit and train teachers for TLCs and public schools. The CBE  classes will be established in locations where public schools are more than three KM away. Under the CBE, a total of 4500 children will be covered from both provinces of which 50% will be girls from Nangarhar and 40% form Kandahar.
The project will hire 17 Community Mobilisers for supporting classes, establishing and train PTA. 

In order to staff the CBE/TLCs with appropriate personnel, the project will recruit and train 110 teachers, including 100 for CBE and TLCs and 10 teachers to be deployed in schools as a requisite to increase their student enrollment capacity. 

In addition to providing support to improving the learning environment, SCI will also address the physical capacity gaps of 15 public schools (10 Nangarhar and 5 Kandahar) including by establishing much-needed additional classes in the school compounds, undertaking minor renovations, providing teaching learning materials and stationary, and installing gender-sensitive WASH facilities. The latter intervention will allow an additional 500 out-of-school children (375 from NGR and 125 KDR) to enroll in existing public schools of which at least 50% are girls from Nangarhar and 40% from Kandahar provinces.

A total of 20 Parents Teachers Association (PTAs) with 200 members of which 50% will be female will be established to support protective and inclusive learning classes, enrollment, and retention in the CBE  classes. The PTAs will also be trained on child protection issues and community-based child protection reporting mechanisms in order to protect children. 
30 student clubs will be established in (15 public schools) for ensuring child participation in school and ensuring reporting on child protection related issues. Each student club will have at least 5 members those will receive orientation on identification of child protection issues and reporting mechanism.