Catering for diversity in psychosocial and learning needs in a low-income country

This chapter reviews the work of three largely residential schools run by EducAid, a small NGO in Sierra Leone. Thousands of children had missed out on schooling following the rebel war (1991–2002). Marginalised children included child soldiers, children whose parents had died in the fighting and children returning from refugee camps. The post-conflict context was one in which many students had been exposed to violence, trauma and tragedy. The challenge was to provide a loving, learning community with appropriate teaching and learning methods for a wide range of ages, educational experience, competence and confidence. Some students have missed years of schooling, but others arrive at EducAid having missed little or none of their education. Consequently, some teenagers are illiterate on admission, with attainments below those of much younger children. EducAid, therefore, devised a personalised learning system that encourages children to take responsibility for their own learning, and to learn with and from peers, supported by teachers. Progression depends on reaching a specified standard in each module. The purpose-written modules cover the content of the national exams but provide opportunities for students to interact with each other in ways that challenge their previous negative and violent experiences. In other words, catering for diversity in learning can not be carried out independently of diversity in psychosocial experiences