Real cases about SDG 4: Cooperatives strive to build partnerships to provide quality education
RABAT, November 3, 2025 — Cooperatives improve access to education, as they serve the most underserved populations and mobilise resources in sectors that lack access to public systems. They also promote youth empowerment and leadership development by offering young people a platform to organise, acquire entrepreneurial skills, and participate in decision-making.
In Beni Mellal [Morocco], the Yasmine Annajah Cooperative operates not only as a cooperative but also as a school. Founded in 2018, it currently has 220 pupils and a teaching team of 13 people, as well as support staff, to provide quality education to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The cooperative also funds school scholarships, strengthens language and digital skills, and organises extracurricular activities such as excursions to reinforce scientific learning. The Yasmine Annajah Cooperative demonstrates that cooperatives can directly manage schools and serves as a replicable community model that advances the goals of SDG 4.
In Malaysia, the Angkatan Kerjasama Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad [ANGKASA], the national federation representing the country’s cooperatives, has collaborated with the Ministry of Education to organise the School Cooperative Excellence Awards [SCEA], which showcase how school cooperatives promote entrepreneurship and democratic participation.
Since their inception in 1968, more than 2,000 school cooperatives have been established, with 1.6 million members, operating through various means—shops, printing services, tourism, or agriculture—and some generate annual turnovers exceeding one million Malaysian ringgit. These cooperatives, open to students, teachers, and staff, practise democratic governance through annual meetings and elections and provide training programmes. School cooperatives strengthen human capital and the local economy by driving innovation, contributing to community well-being, and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among young people.
In Paraguay, an interesting partnership can also be found in this area. The Federación de Cooperativas del Paraguay [FECOPAR], a federation of savings and credit cooperatives, has partnered with the Ministry of Education and Sciences to integrate cooperative training into the official curriculum. FECOPAR provides students aged 16 to 18 with knowledge of the cooperative sector and practical skills through certified educational programmes, a technical baccalaureate focused on cooperatives, and various research initiatives.
In addition, FECOPAR organises financial education workshops with universities and has a Youth Committee that trains young cooperative leaders. These programmes reinforce the role of cooperatives within the national education system and prepare young people to be both active citizens and cooperative members.
In Europe, REScoop.eu, the European Federation of Energy Cooperatives, represents a network of more than 2,500 cooperatives and 2 million citizens, placing them at the heart of the energy transition. Education is a core element of its mission, and its members apply cooperative principles to raise public awareness and develop sustainability-oriented skills.
For example, in Leuven [Belgium], the student cooperative CORE has developed engineering projects focused on the circular economy and responsible energy use, engaging communities through interactive workshops such as an energy-themed escape room.
In the United Kingdom, Repowering London guides young people towards careers in clean energy and has so far equipped more than 150 young people with practical skills. It also organises workshops to help households understand their energy rights and manage consumption. Through such initiatives, REScoop.eu member cooperatives demonstrate how energy cooperatives combine innovation, education, and youth empowerment to foster inclusive and sustainable learning.
https://thecooperator.news/new-website-for-international-cooperative-business-education-consortium/
Buy your copy of theCooperator magazine from one of our countrywide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
