Evolution of UCEP

The Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs (UCEP) is a leading national non-government organization of Bangladesh . It strives to inculcate marketable skills among the hardcore poor urban working children and adolescents through Integrated General and Vocational education followed by Technical Education and on the job apprenticeship in close collaboration with potential entrepreneurs and enterprises / industries throughout Bangladesh .

The origin of Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs (UCEP)- Bangladesh is connected with a philanthropic New Zealander, Lindsay Allan Cheyne. Mr. Cheyne came to Bangladesh on a British relief mission in 1970 to run a mother and child health clinic for the millions of tornado hit distressed families in the south-eastern part of the country. Chyene had just completed establishing the clinic when the 1971 war of independence broke out and Bangladesh was born. The destruction in the wake of the tornado paled beside the tragedy of human misery left by the war, and the new nation faced ever-greater crisis than before.

Along with his relief operation duties, Cheyne worked with the Directorate of Social Welfare in planning an educational program for the underprivileged, homeless, poor children. Cheyne went to work finding a sponsor. The Danish government responded to the appeal of Mr. Cheyne and extended generous financial assistance to launch a 3-year project. The government of Bangladesh provided a building to house the program.

UCEP was created in 1972 as an International Non Government Organization. Initially UCEP worked with the concept of "community schools" to provide alternative schooling opportunity to the poor working children living in slums or on the streets of the cities. The initial project experience was very positive in terms of the results of schooling and the response of the poor working children and street children to the special schooling arrangement. The concept of "non-formal education" has been gradually grounded in UCEP as a useful approach to improving the condition of the poor out-of-school children who are considered to be an 'especially disadvantaged group'.

In order to make UCEP approach more useful and effective, skills training opportunities were added to UCEP's general education in 1983 with the establishment of one Technical School in Dhaka . By that time UCEP's general education program had been expanded to the Chittagong and Khulna cities.

UCEP was reorganized in 1988 and got itself registered as a national NGO under the Voluntary Social Welfare (Registration and Control) Ordinance, 1961.

Beginning in 1972 UCEP has been able to progress steadily. By now it has grown into an established NGO having 52 general schools and 10 Technical schools located in Dhaka , Chittagong , Khulna,  Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal and Rangpur Division and Gazipur District.

During the period 1972  June 2011  UCEP extended support service to as many as 1,87,490 poor urban working children who enrolled as student in UCEP education system. Out of them 44,921 students completed technical education at UCEP technical schools and para-trade centres. The major fields, where UCEP trained hands are working, include automobile (repair, operation and maintenance), garments making, electronics (assembling and repair), printing and packaging, electrical, air conditioning and refrigeration (installation, repair and maintenance), textile (spinning, weaving and knitting), Aid to Nurse etc.

At present, a total of 42,556 children are pursuing Integrated General and Vocational Education  at the UCEP Integrated General and Vocational Schools and Technical Schools.

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Introduction

• Evolution of UCEP
• UCEP Approach