Education is seen as a privilege for many people but is considered a basic right in many parts of the world including Ghana. The constitution of Ghana guarantees every child the right to education.
The SOS Children's Villages helps children acquire quality education in Ghana and in other countries with the establishments of its educational facilities. In countries outside Europe, SOS Children's Villages often builds schools which are open to both the children and young people from the children's village and the neighboring communities.
By building SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, SOS Children's Villages not only provides for the educational needs of the children and young people from the children's villages, but also improves educational opportunities locally, particularly for children from the surrounding districts.
The variety of SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools include kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, vocational training schools and international colleges, of which there are two worldwide. However, the objective of SOS Children's Villages' commitment in the educational sector is not to create academic and elitist institutions. The focus of educational activity is to ensure that adequate schooling is provided to each child who grows up in an SOS Children's Village, and to as many local children as possible.
All SOS 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. Cultural features are taken into account. A maximum of between 30 and 40 pupils per classroom are taught by well-qualified teachers, almost exclusively using local personnel.
Normally children from SOS Children's Villages attend the local kindergartens. However, in countries and regions where pre-school facilities do not already exist or are inadequate, SOS Children's Villages build their own. These kindergartens offer children from both the SOS Children's Village and the local neighborhood access to early learning and supervised play facilities that would not otherwise be available.
The teaching methods employed, and the games and toys used at SOS Kindergartens are based on the educational theories of Friedrich Fröbel and Maria Montessori, taking due account of the cultural requirements of the country concerned. The emphasis is on the children's natural creativity and allowing them to develop at their own pace.
The daily kindergarten programme contains two important parts: free play and activity. During free play, the child can choose what, with whom, how long and where he or she wants to play. This enables them to learn how to decide for themselves, according to their own choice and imagination. Through play, they also learn the necessary rules of community life.
The goal of the daily activity time is to familiarize the children with their new environment. Through carefully prepared activities, they learn how to correctly handle materials under the guidance of their educators. Intellectual, emotional and social development is encouraged and behavior and senses trained.
Preparing the way to school
In addition to regular kindergarten activities, pre-school programmes are provided which are designed to stimulate young children in line with their talents and prepare them for admission to primary school. The focus here is on development through play with regard to social, intellectual and motor skills. Coaching programmes are also available for children with special needs.
Qualified staff
Great emphasis is given to staff selection and qualifications to ensure that the children are given the best possible care. Continuous training is also provided for kindergarten staff where required.
The availability of suitable classrooms, games and toys ensures that the children are given the optimum conditions for developing their social, intellectual and creative skills. Used for kindergarten classes in the morning, the kindergarten building often serves other groups from the SOS Children's Village in the afternoons, and plays host to a variety of activities.
The main aim of SOS Children's Villages is to provide children who were abandoned, orphaned and destitute a place they can call home and provide them with an opportunity to grow up to become independent. This goal can only be achieved if these children receive quality education and the skills which are vital to help them secure their independence.
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