Teaching English at a bilingual school in Cofradía, Honduras

Education is one of the most important factors in bringing countries out of poverty. Affordable and quality education can drastically improve the lives of citizens and benefit the country as a whole. However, Honduras struggles to keep up with education standards on at the regional global level.

Honduras is one of the most poverty-stricken areas in Central America, where 65% of its citizens live below the poverty line. Most children are not able to complete primary school and more than 97,000 students a year drop out of school to work for their families. Furthermore, the government does not pay for schooling past year 6, crippling the country’s youth even further and allowing only 30% of its students to reach high school. The desperate need for financial support also contributes to the number of children dropping out at an early age.

Honduras’ lack of progress in education has severely limited economic opportunities of the lower class and economy growth in general. The government does not have enough resources to provide appropriate training for teachers or teaching materials for the schools, hindering the quality of the already minimal education these children are receiving.

After teaching in a class in Honduras I met so many gifted and intelligent children who take their education seriously. It is a shame that they are not able to reach their full potential due to poverty and a broken system. It is an unfair disadvantage that no child should face.