Why Honduras
For The Love Of Honduras
The goal of Guided Opportunities is to create a program that can be implemented anywhere around the globe. We decided to start our program in Juticalpa, Honduras, due to the severe circumstances in this rural area and our strong ties to the community.
The Honduran educational system faces many challenges. Most of the population only receives a primary level education (6th grade). Sixty-three percent of the Honduran labor force only has a primary level education. The education that is administered at the primary level is remedial and behind other countries in the region. Public schools are underfunded, lack basic supplies and experience high dropout rates. Fifteen percent of students do not complete their primary education and only 54% go on to enroll in secondary education (7th-12th grade).
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These problems are compounded in rural areas where 45% of the Honduran population resides. According to the World Bank, in rural areas, approximately 1 out of 5 Hondurans live in extreme poverty (less than $1.90 per day). Primary schools in these areas reflect the socioeconomic demographic of students that feed into them. Often in remote locations, these schools lack basic facilities such as electricity, running water and plumbing. Teachers frequently teach multiple grade levels with limited supplies and little support.
Student dropout rates are attributed to the necessity to increase family earnings, forcing the children to work rather than finish school. Seventy-eight percent of students who dropped out had parents with either no education or only a primary education.
Our goal in Juticalpa, Honduras, is to increase student attendance and academic performance, and to empower educational engagement in the schools and community.
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Sources:
https://www.thedialogue.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Educational-Challenges-in-Honduras-FINAL.pdf
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https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/honduras/overview
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