Bridging the education gap: The role of social enterprise in supporting stateless children

Abstract

This study focuses on the educational opportunities for stateless children in Sabah, highlighting the ongoing challenges they face in enrolling in formal school settings and their inability to meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). It emphasizes the need for support from various perspectives, even if only in the short to medium term. Alternative learning centers (ALCs), as social enterprises, play a crucial role in addressing these issues and demonstrate a positive impact, particularly in reducing adverse socio-economic effects. Given the positive contributions of these social enterprises, it is beneficial to explore how they are implemented to empower this marginalized community through education. This study employs a qualitative method, specifically a single case study, to examine a related phenomenon in a real-world context. The findings reveal several key themes: creative and comprehensive learning strategies, transformative impact on societal benefits and proper physical setting. Thus, it provides an indicator of the importance of ALCs and encourages stakeholders to support them wherever possible, including in curriculum development and other support systems.