Education
How 40 schools kept 9,800 children in class this year
Fees, uniforms and a mentor for every child. Here is what changed in our Back to School partner schools.
Tunde Okafor
1 min read
When a child is sent home for unpaid fees, the chance they return drops every week they are away. That is why Back to School starts with the fees, but it does not stop there.
This year we supported 9,800 pupils across 41 partner schools in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo. Each child received a uniform, books and stationery, and was matched with a volunteer mentor who checks in every term.
What the numbers say
Attendance in partner schools rose from 78% to 91% over the year. Ninety-two percent of the children we support moved up to the next class, compared with 74% before they joined the programme.
The mentors changed everything. The children know someone outside their family is expecting them in class.
Head teachers tell us the mentor visits matter as much as the money. A short conversation each term is often enough to spot a problem before a child drops out.
Next year we plan to add eight more schools in Ibadan North, where the waiting list is longest.
