8
REPORT
“EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONDURAS”
PLAN
I. State of the Honduran education system.
II. Structure of the Honduran education system:
1. Pre-school education
2. Primary education
3. Secondary education
4. Higher education
5. Adult education and professional training
III. Current trends in education.
STATE OF THE HONDURAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
Honduras lacked a national education system until the late 1950’s.
Before the reforms of 1957, education was the exclusive privilege of
those who could afford to send their children to private institutions.
The government of Ramуn Villeda Morales (1957-63) introduced reforms
that led to the establishment of a national public education system and
began a school construction program.
Data from the Program for the Development of the Organization of the
United Nations (PNUD) reveal today that 51% of the matriculates finish
primary school, in an average of 9.4 years, and that the number of
dropouts increases each year. The acutest problem is that the basic
educational system only covers 86.5% of school-age children, while the
remaining 13.5% cannot get access to the education.
Although the Honduran Constitution formally stipulates that minors have
to have their educations taken care of, many arrive at adulthood without
learning to read or write, while the state tries to justify this by the
insufficiency of resources at its command. Illiteracy encompasses more
than half a million people in this country, which is the equivalent of
the entire population between 15 and 40 years old. Good education is
still largely the privilege of the few who can afford to send their
children to private institutions.
Statistical information shows that the state of the public education
system remains poor. Figures cited by the Ministry of Education suggest
that Honduras suffers from widespread illiteracy (more than 40 percent
of the total population and more than 80 percent in rural areas). A
significant percentage of children do not receive formal education.
The statistics collected by the Ministry of Education reflect that no
department in Honduras reaches, on average, the six-year minimum of
primary education. According to recent data indicating educational
efficiency, for every thousand graduates of the first grade in 1990,
only 292 (29%) complete primary school in six years and 468 (46%) never
finish. The situation with universities is much more worrying, since
only 20% avoid failing out in universities such as the National
Autonomous University of Honduras (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de
Honduras, or UNAH).
The quality of instruction in Honduran public schools is greatly
impaired by poor teacher training. The situation is worsened by the
extremely low wages paid to teachers, lack of effective and up-to-date
instruction materials, outdated teaching methods, poor administration,
and lack of physical facilities.
Because of the deficiencies of public education, the years since 1970
have seen the proliferation of private schools. With few exceptions,
however, private education is popularly viewed as a profit-making
enterprise. Great skepticism remains regarding the quality of the
education that private schools offer.
The UNAH is the primary institution of higher learning. Located in
Tegucigalpa, it was founded in 1847 and became an autonomous institution
in 1957. The university has approximately 30,000 students. There are two
branches of the UNAH in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba.
President Ricardo Maduro is attempting the change the educational
system, but at the current rate of reform it would take at least 23
years to reach the level of the educational system in other nations in
the area like Costa Rica and Panama. Evaluations performed by
international organizations denounce the backwardness of the state’s
investments in the sector with respect to the majority of countries in
the region, and that the current educational model has reached its
limits after more than a decade in Honduras.
STRUCTURE OF THE HONDURAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
ISCED levelNameMinistry ResponsiblePre-schoolEducacion
Pre-basicaMinistry of EducationPrimaryEducacion Basica (Grades 1-6)Lower
secondaryEducacion Basica (Grades 7-9) including
EDUCATODOSLower secondary vocationalFormacion de Oficios (INFOP,
Academias)Upper Secondary (general)Educacion media (academica)Upper
Secondary (vocational)Educacion media (tecnica)Tertiary, first stage
Tecnico universitario (first certificate, short),
Bachiller Universitario (5A first certificate, long),
Licenciatura (second certificate),
Maestria (further certificate)National UniversityTertiary, second
stageDoctorado
1. Pre-school education
Pre-school education covers a three-year period with the aim of adapting
children to the social environment and developing their sensorial and
other faculties. The program tries to provide adequate nutrition,
eradicate parasites, vaccinate, give medical and dental care, and to
educate parents in health, nutrition, hygiene and family welfare.
Although planned for children between four and six-and-a-half years, the
government has decided, in view of financial constraints, to provide
these services only for six-year-old children, especially the less
privileged ones. Teachers for pre-school education are trained at the
Escuela Superior del Profesorado.
In the sixties, the pre-primary schools were concentrated solely in the
urban areas. In the seventies, the system has been expanding to include
rural areas. Because of its financial limitations, the government has
decided to stimulate participation of the private sector in the
development of pre-school education.
We see that the age of children receiving pre-school education in
Honduras and in Ukraine differ. In Ukraine it is not actually set, and
children start attending day nursery when they are 2 years old or go
straight to the kindergarten at the age of 3 or 4. The graduation age is
usually 5 or 6. The purpose of the Ukrainian pre-school education is
somewhat similar to the Honduran one – the main stress is put on
introducing children into the society and developing their communication
skills, though much attention is also given to the basics of reading,
counting, etc.
2. Primary education
Primary education is compulsory and lasts 6 years. This level consists
of two cycles, each of three years duration. In order to democratize
education and to improve the retention rate, examinations for promotion
have been eliminated. The practical areas of learning receive special
attention.
In Ukraine primary education is also compulsory, but it lasts 3 or 4
years and is not divided into cycles. Actually, primary education is not
separated from the secondary one and is considered to be the first stage
of it. During these years children mostly improve their reading, writing
and counting skills.
3. Secondary education
Secondary education starts at age of 13 and is aimed at further
development of the cultural, scientific and practical knowledge received
at the primary level, and at preparation for higher education and
training for work. To achieve these objectives, secondary education is
divided into two cycles – the common cycle and the diversified cycle.
The common cycle lasts for 3 years. Besides further cultural, scientific
and practical knowledge, students receive vocational guidance similar to
that of the education-apprenticeship. The diversified cycle lasts for 3
years, except for the Bachillerato course which lasts only 2 years. This
cycle comprises several streams, namely: primary schoolteacher training
(3 years); the Bachillerato (sciences and humanities) course; technical
education – 3 years for bachilleros and 4 years for qualified workers
(peritos) including the common cycle level. Peritos are trained in areas
such as auto mechanics, general mechanics, carpentry, electronics, home
economics, agriculture and cattle breeding, medicine (assistant nurses).
On the bachiller level, courses are offered in agriculture, medicine,
nurses training, arts, musical education, etc.
One of the most striking characteristics of secondary education is that
almost 80% of the total enrolment was absorbed by private secondary
schools in urban areas, and that the remaining 20% were in government
secondary schools, also in urban areas.
Retention rates at this level are considerably higher than in primary
education due to better organization and administration of the system
and to an increase in investment in the education of those enrolled.
Teachers for secondary education are trained at the Escuela Superior del
Profesorado in a three-year post-secondary course.
In Ukraine secondary education starts at the age of 10 or 11 which is
the 5th grade and lasts until the age of 17 (the 12th grade). Pupils are
taught a wide range of subjects, both humanities and sciences. Less
attention is given to technical subjects, but after the 9th grade
children can enter technical schools and study until the graduation age
to receive special secondary education. Nowadays many schools have
biases, for example there are schools with a foreign language bias, a
mathematics bias, a medical bias and so on. Unlike the Honduran
secondary education, the Ukrainian one is not divided into cycles. Most
schools are maintained by the state, thought private schools are gaining
more and more popularity. A lot of secondary graduates in Ukraine
proceed to higher education.
4. Higher education
Higher education is of two types: Universidad (University) and Escuela
Nacional (National School). The latter covers such areas as secondary
school teacher-training, forestry, agriculture and medicine. Higher
education is provided by public and private universities and specialized
institutes and schools. The UNAH is autonomous and draws its funds from
government grants, fees and gifts. It is responsible for higher
education through the Claustro Pleno, the Consejo de Educaciуn Superior,
the Consejo Tйcnico and the Direcciуn de Educaciуn Superior. The
Universidad Pedagуgica Nacional Francisco Morazбn is under the
administrative control of the Ministry of Public Education. There is a
national school of forestry, a national school of agriculture and a
school of music. There are 16 private universities, as well as a
Catholic university that belongs to the Archidiocis of Tegucigalpa. The
Escuela Agrнcola Panamericana is a private international institution
which is governed by a board of trustees, comprising members from
different countries.
The first stage of higher education leads after three or four years to
the first degree of Bachillerato universitario and Licenciatura or to a
professional qualification. The Bachillerato universitario is mainly
conferred in technological fields. The Licenciatura is awarded after
four years in Nursing, five years in Economics, Business Administration,
Accountancy, Law, Engineering, Journalism, Mathematics and Natural
Sciences. All students at the UNAH spend the first year (for medical
students, two years) in the Centro de Estudios Generales.
The second stage of university studies leads to the degrees of Maestrнa
and Doctorado (Profesional). The Maestrнa is conferred after two to
three years’ study following upon the Bachillerato universitario or
Licenciatura. A Doctorado (Profesional) is conferred in Pharmacy and
Dentistry after six years and after seven years in Medicine.
The third stage lies in obtaining the degree of Especialidad. It is only
conferred in Medicine to holders of the Tнtulo de Doctor. It requires 30
credits and three years’ internship. The University-level Doctorado PhD
is conferred after two years of study and each university has a
different specialty of PhD.
In terms of internal efficiency, higher education suffers from some of
the same problems as does the rest of the educational system. The ratio
between the number of enrolled students in a given year and the number
of graduates six years later comes down to an average of 9.3 for a
five-year period.
There are many more universities in Ukraine than in Honduras, and the
level of higher education is higher in general. Universities are mainly
located in large regional centers, and usually there’s more than one
university in one city. Students get a Bachelor’s degree after 4 years
of studying, and then they have to study a year more for a Specialist’s
degree or 2 years more for a Master’s degree. Then they can continue
their scientific career by writing a PhD thesis. Universities are mostly
maintained by the state, and there are comparatively few private
universities.
5. Adult education and professional training
Besides the formal education system described above, adult education and
professional training are provided both by the Ministry of Education in
4-year accelerated primary education courses and by organizations such
as the National Institute of Agriculture (INA), the National Institute
for Vocational Training (INFOP), the National Junta for Social Welfare,
the Army, radio schools, and others.
In the absence of centralized and systematic statistical data, it is
difficult to analyze statistically the present situation in adult
education and professional training. Instead, brief descriptions follow
of programs carried out by the Ministry of Education and other agencies.
a) The Literacy and Adult Education Directorate in the Ministry of
Education plans and implements various out-of-school education
activities at the national level, including professional training in
dressmaking, floriculture, carpentry, cosmetics, etc., functional
education conducted by 3 regional teams in the rural settlements of La
Ceiba, San Pedro Sula and Choluteca, and literacy programs.
b) PROCARA, a program of training for agrarian reform, is carried out by
the National Agrarian Institute (INA) with the assistance of FAO. Funded
by UNDP, it is aimed at training peasants in the social and technical
aspects of the agrarian reform and providing incentives and skills
needed to organize co-operatives.
c) The aim of the Institute for Vocational Training (INFOP) is to
manage, co-ordinate, plan and control vocational training in all sectors
of the economy, in accordance with the national plans for economic and
social development.
d) The National Committee for Social Welfare is a semi-autonomous
organization whose programs include community development, family
protection, literacy, and health.
e) Radio schools (Escuelas Rafionicas) are operated by a private
institution which coordinates its activities with the Literacy and Adult
Education Directorate of the Ministry of Education. The content of the
program includes literacy, techniques in agriculture and guidance in
using the credit system operated by the institution.
f) Many other programs in the field of adult education and
professionaltraining are sponsored by various organizations, including
the Ministry of National Resources, the Family Planning Association and
the National University.
CURRENT TRENDS IN EDUCATION
Recognizing the existence of the shortcomings which have heretofore
inhibited the development of the educational system, the Government of
Honduras has embarked on the road to improvement of the existing
situation. The National Commission for Educational Reform has elaborated
a program of changes which are being gradually introduced into the
educational system.
Development of education in rural areas has high priority. The program
is designed to adapt the educational structure and content to the
development process and the agrarian reform. Greet importance is placed
on “nuclearization” which will enable incomplete primary schools which
do not yet offer six grades to be gradually completed. It is also hoped
that those schools, called “nucleos” will integrate formal and
non-formal education activities and thus become community development
centers.
The Ministry of Education has been implementing a project intended to
create a national service of supervision and orientation of primary
education which helps to improve the performance of primary school
teachers and the quality of education at this level. Also there has been
a significant reorientation of in-service training programs for primary
school teachers. Greater emphasis is now placed on natural science and
mathematics, hygiene, agriculture, artisan activities, and home
economics.
The Ministry has also initiated the reorganization of secondary
education to conform with the new structure of the whole system. The
basic idea of this reorganization is to make the secondary education
system more flexible, internally dynamic and functionally oriented, and
to help students integrate themselves easily and productively into the
economy. Also, the reorganization of secondary education is intended to
enable students to re-enter school in any branch and on any level.
Significant efforts are being made in the field of technical and
vocational education to increase its quality and responsiveness to the
needs of industrial and agricultural development. These efforts include
revision of curriculum, teacher and instructor training, research and
improvement of educational materials, and the expansion of existing
institutions.
At the same time in Ukraine there are new progressive trends in the
system of higher education. In many universities, the Bologna process is
being introduced. It’s influence on our higher education not evident
yet, but in a few years, when teachers and students will understand its
essence and will get used to it, it will bring the Ukrainian education
closer to the European level. There are still some points in our system
of higher education that need to be changed. First of all, Specialist’s
degree, which is not recognized anywhere in Europe or other advanced
countries, has to be cancelled, and only Master’s degree should be left
instead. Then, Bachelor’s degree has to be accepted as the first degree
of higher education, as it is everywhere in the civilized world. In
general, the Ukrainian higher education needs to be relieved of the
remains of the Soviet education system, and then it will be possible to
upgrade it efficiently.
REFERENCES
1. “Global Exchange” website, “Education in Honduras”.
2. “Honduras Education” from the Library of Congress Country Studies.
3. IAU, World Higher Education Database “Honduras – Education System”.
4. Information and Monitoring Sheet for Statistical Capacity Building in
Education 2003-2005. Honduras.
5. Jeanne Moulton “An Outline of the Educational System in Honduras”.
Нашли опечатку? Выделите и нажмите CTRL+Enter
