Evaluering
Fast Track to Completion – the Complementary Rapid Education for Primary Schools (CREPS) and the Distance Education Program (DEP) in Sierra Leone
The Complementary Rapid Education Programme in Schools (CREPS) was introduced in different districts in Sierra Leone in 2000 by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST). In 2002 NRC became the implementing partner of CREPS in three districts in the northern and eastern regions: Kambia, Kono and Kailahun. The programme is phasing out in December 2005. The target groups are overage children (10-14) who have missed out of school or who had their schooling interrupted by the war. CREPS allows the children to finish primary school in three years in stead of six, covering class 1-2 (level I in CREPS), class 2-4 (level II) and class 5-6 (level III). The majority of the CREPS teachers were untrained and unqualified. CREPS is considered part of the regular school system and the connection between the two is tight. The teaching takes place in regular school in the afternoon or in a CREPS centre close to the regular school in the morning. Syllabus and manuals have been prepared by MEST/UNICEF to ensure that the contents and teaching are in harmony with the regular school. The main purpose of the evaluation is to provide an overall assessment of the efficiency, effectiveness, impact and relevance of the program. The evaluation will be a tool in the ongoing discussions in NRC regarding Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs), and for improvements/adaptations in the CREPS program prior to possible implementation in other NRC program countries.