Educational Participation among Street-Connected Children and Young People: A Critical Narrative Synthesis of Schooling Experiences, Programme Pathways and Intervention Delivery

Abstract

Access to education, dignity, participation, and protection constitutes an interconnected priority for children and young people in street situations. Integrating evidence on schooling experiences, program pathways, and intervention delivery requires careful consideration of their unique contributions. This article examines reported educational engagement and related support while considering how study designs and settings influence interpretation. A critical narrative synthesis was informed by a source-level audit of 33 named candidate publications across two source lists. Three empirical publications were purposively selected: one reporting two schooling studies in Kenya, one tracing the pathways of three children participating in a Ugandan resilience programme, and one examining the implementation of two adapted health and social interventions in Kenya. A design-sensitive comparison differentiated the participants’ experiences, program processes, and implementation observations. Schooling accounts document shame, acceptance, and belonging during educational transitions. The Ugandan pathways described educational participation alongside changing relationships with peers, families, practitioners, and schools. Implementation findings identified trust, gender dynamics, and logistical planning as key delivery considerations. Children’s rights clarify educational aims, an ecological perspective situates support across settings, and social emotional development frames the proposed relational process of the program. The synthesis informs proposed practices, including welcoming school entry, sustained contact, children’s participation in decision-making, and coordinated child safeguarding. Prospective evaluations could examine how these practices relate to attendance, retention, and learning over time.