- In 2002, the Poverty Reduction Task Force proposed an educational project that was implemented by the Ministry of Social Development with the collaboration of the Central Planning Division and the Ministry of Education.
- The project was conceived out of the need to use education as a means of breaking those cycles of poverty that keep generations perennially under the line of unacceptable standards of living.Generally, children of poor families are found to be at risk in terms of low achievement in school, inadequate safety and care at home, poor self-esteem, and without the social support systems that contribute to a healthy upbringing and productive outcomes.
- CAP’s major theme is “Learning with Fun, Growing with Care”.The programme takes an integrated and creative approach in developing the child’s skills through the delivery of a fun-filled curriculum which includes reading, drama, arts and craft, creative writing, music, physical education and sports, numeracy, personal hygiene and community issues.In short, the programme’s creative methods help the children learn while having fun.
- Students are also taught that RESPECT for self and others is important to their development.
- It targets economically challenged families with academically challenged children. The CAP Project involved the delivery of remedial work to 5-13 years olds who have academic weaknesses and are living in homes deprived of basic amenities.
- In general, the CAP programme targets disadvantaged students from economically challenged households with poor academic performance and behavioural problems in an effort to:-
a) improve the academic performance of these students – both during the Vacation component and the After-school Student Support component;
b) shape and promote positive attitudes and behaviours in an effort to reduce the incidents of behavioural problems at the primary school level;
c) provide for the transfer of parenting and other income-generating skills to parents of students attending the CAP, who are low income earners or unemployed, to better enable them to give support to their children.
