The purpose of the study were to analyze the intended efforts made by the involved partnerrnNO Os (OOB and WLE) and policy intentions to universal primary basic education to explore therneffectiveness and relevance of the education system to the needs of beneficiaries, to assess thernstrength, weakness, and efficiency of the on-going alternative non-formal primary basicrneducation (NFPBE) in rural Benishangul Oumuz. To these ends, the study attempted to assessrncurriculum issues, program organization and management, reasons for program initiation, majorrnsocial and economic roles of children, major factors affecting children participation in primaryrneducation, advantages of the program, requirements for recruiting facilitators and bodiesrninvolved, facilitators employment, roles, and mode of payment and community participation forrnimplementation of the program in the region.rnThe study was conducted in 12 OOB and 5 WLE centers. Centers participators, coordinators andrnsupervisors were included respondents. Data were collected from respondents usingrnquestionnaire, interview and focus group discussion guid es. Among 68 respondents 42 OBG andrn26 WLE who were selected on the basis of avai labi lity sampling, 38 (90.5%) OGB and 23rn(88.4%) of WLE, a total of 61 (89.6%) respondents filled the questionnaire and turned back tornthe researcher. Them the data collected were ana lyzed using percentage, frequency counts andrnrank orders.rnThe finding of the study revealed that there were problems in relation to facilitators selection andrntraining, level of awareness about the impoI1ance and benefits of education and lack ofrncommitment among educational officials, the community and center faci litators. The study al sorndi sclosed the major factors that hindered children's paI1icipation in primary schools. Moreover,rnthe research also indicated strategies that foster the participation and retention of children in thernprogram.rnHence, it is concluded that, in most cases the participation of rural Benishangul Gumez childrenrnin primary schools was functions of primary socio-cultural and socio-economic; human resourcernand community based participation development problems. Depending on the results of thernfindings the study recommended that implementing alternative non-formal approaches to basicrnprimary education for the un-reached require awareness creation among the society, considerablernamount of budget to program, assigning program coordination at all levels, mobilizing availablernhuman and material resources, establishing and capacitating training institutes in the region,rncreating conductive environn1ent for NGOs and promoting capacity building training programsrnfor education personnel