Alternative Education

Given that 61% of the Honduran population is below the age of 25, the need for access to quality education leading to productive employment is critical for the country’s development. At present, 86% of Hondurans complete sixth grade, but fewer than 45% complete the ninth grade and fewer than 25% complete high school. Only six percent continue to complete a university education. Despite an increasing elementary school completion rate, Honduras has the lowest secondary school enrollment rate in Latin America. There are serious inequalities between the rural and urban youth in access to high school education. Many families are unable to afford the costs of post-elementary education, with about 42% of the heads of families subsisting on $2.00 per day.

USAID activities aim to decrease the gaps in quality and access to education in the current system. USAID supports the Ministry of Education and civil society by:

	developing alternative education programs from the first through the ninth grade;
	strengthening basic education skills in vocational education programs;
	developing pilot programs to improve the quality of basic education and reduce student failure rates; and
	developing innovative, high quality, and low cost preschool education alternatives.

Since 1995, USAID has been helping the Ministry of Education to develop and implement the country’s first alternative education program, Educatodos. The Ministry of Education is now financing the majority of the program’s costs. Through this program, community volunteers use interactive radio programs and recorded lessons to teach more than 100,000 out-of-school students each year. The program gives students the possibility of completing their education up to the ninth grade. The Ministry of Education is developing a plan to assure long-term sustainability of Educatodos by increasing private sector involvement in its management. Statistics show that for each year of schooling completed, the program contributes to an average increase of six percent in lifetime earnings.

USAID is supporting new activities designed to expand access to quality secondary education for low income rural youth. A new pilot activity will strengthen the basic education skills of students in vocational training centers. USAID resources will help ensure that students at these centers receive the basics of reading, writing, mathematics, and other practical life skills. USAID will combine its resources with those of the Honduran government and international private sector to help vocational training centers implement up-to-date curricula. This will allow the private sector to meet its changing needs in employment and will give the young workforce the opportunity to earn better incomes.

In support of the Ministry of Education’s effort to extend universal preschool to all Hondurans, USAID developed an Alternative Preschool Model. The model uses recorded lessons and community volunteers as facilitators. Nearly 5,000 of these community preschool centers have been established, enrolling over 60,000 children annually. Honduras is in the process of implementing this alternative model nationwide with funding from the multi-donor supported Education for All Program and the Ministry of Education.