Team Reports
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Education in HondurasJudy Skelton – Toronto, ON
Honduras has one of the highest incidences of poverty and inequality in the western hemisphere. The average annual per capita income is $1,170 dollars. Although the Honduran constitution states that an elementary school education is obligatory for every child, widespread poverty prevents many children from completing elementary school let alone secondary school. In rural areas, children are often kept at home to help in the fields. Children whose families can’t afford to buy school uniforms, school supplies, and books are not allowed to attend school. Children of the urban poor often leave before the end of elementary school to help support the family. A really good and complete education is still largely the privilege of those who can afford to keep their children in school and who have the money to send them to private schools. The government funds public primary and secondary schools to cover the cost of the school buildings and teacher salaries. Individual schools pay for school maintenance and any special programming they decide to introduce. Public schools are usually modest structures within a walled compound. Furniture, equipment, and supplies vary with the affluence of the neighborhood where the school is located. It is safe to say that none of the classrooms we saw come even close to an average classroom in Canada.
In Honduras, the school year begins in February and ends at the end of October. A lack of schools, shortage of trained teachers and the high cost of materials mean that there are two school shifts each day and that classes are large. Most children begin elementary school at age six. At the end of grade six, those children whose parents can afford it, move on to high school. The last three years of secondary education is either preparation for college or university, or preparation for a career. A small percentage of the population (statistics vary on this) will graduate from secondary school at the end of grade twelve. Those who can afford to, can choose to move on to a free public university. After the massive loss of life and assets caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Honduras embarked on a very ambitious Poverty Reduction Strategy with the aid of the World Bank. Part of this strategy involved improving the quality of education through the development of community schools in which parents are encouraged to be involved in the school management.
One of the schools we visited was a model community school. Under the leadership of a strong principal, this school had involved the parent community in fundraising efforts. The funds were used to hire maintenance staff and to provide a teacher of English. This school had a computer lab made possible through an international aid program. Parents paid 30 L per month (about $1.50) to maintain the computers. This was one of the few schools that had a computer lab and taught English. The principal and teachers encouraged parents to keep their children in school as long as possible to increase the chances of breaking the cycle of poverty. This school was also part of the “Healthy Schools” project funded by the government and supported by service clubs like our Rotary partners. It provides a breakfast program and health and dental care for the children. The SCAW bedkit distribution project enhances the Healthy Schools initiative. We all know that children who are healthy, properly fed, and well rested have a better chance of success in school. The number of community schools is Honduras is relatively small at this time but their presence attests to the fact that improving the quality of education in public schools is possible as long as there are dedicated and strong teachers and school administrators, the political will, and additional support from projects like SCAW. |
