Everyone stayed inside their homes in 2020 because of the pandemic and in-person learning at school in the small city of Vigia, in Pará, Brazil was suspended. For students like ?gata Melo, 8 years old, not only did she lose contact with her teachers, she lost an entire year of school.
The Municipal Secretary of Education of Vigia, a city with just over 50,000 inhabitants, created a project called Active School Search that aims to find every girl or boy who is not attending classes. "The Active School Search team brought back the children who dropped out of school and provided assistance to those who were at risk of dropping out because of the pandemic," explained Marcia Figueiredo, operational coordinator of the Active School Search.
The search began on foot and by bike, motorcycle and car, principals and teachers from all schools, from the countryside and the city, taking to the streets. Wearing masks and taking the necessary precautions to prevent Covid-19 infection, they went door-to-door to find children who were not attending school or who were struggling to learn at home.
In one of the houses they found ?gata, who they reenrolled in the first grade to ensure that she will receive learning materials from her teacher. "I was very happy," she said, with a smile on her face.
"It has been easy and difficult, because sometimes when I'm writing, I forget some of the things the teacher taught me," she said. But each week when the teacher brings her new materials, she is able to keep up. "Sometimes the teacher stays for a short while, or longer, just to help me," ?gata said.
"Agata's dad and I are teaching her at home... We're managing the best that we can," said her mother, Claudenice. She talked about how important it is for her daughter to continue to study: "I want a bright future for her." If it were solely up to ?gata, she would succeed. When asked what she would like to be when she grows up, ?gata enthusiastically responds "a lawyer".
"My favourite class is painting and drawing on the board", replied ?gata when she was asked about what she likes to study. "?gata is a charismatic child, who likes to do everything: ride a bike, go to school... she even cries when there is no class!", said her mother.
Another 81 children and teenagers in Vigia were found and reenrolled in classes by the School Active Search team. The joint effort by teachers, pedagogical coordinators, principals and managers helped the children to continue to learn during the pandemic.
Active School Search's team of the city of Vigia, in Pará, Brazil. United Nations photo: UNICEF
Active School Search
The Active School Search is a project held in collaboration with municipalities and states to address school exclusion/dropouts. It was developed by UNICEF and the Union of Municipal Education Leaders (Undime), with support from the National Collegiate of Municipal Managers of Social Assistance (Congemas) and the National Council of Municipal Health Secretariats (Conasems).
The initiative aims to support governments in identifying, registering, controlling and monitoring children and teenagers who are out of school or at risk of dropping out. Through the Active School Search project, municipalities and states have concrete data that make it possible to plan, develop and implement public policies that contribute to school inclusion.
