USAID assists the Honduran Ministry of Education’s efforts to reform its policies, specifically in the development and implementation of academic standards, formative assessments, and standardized testing in public schools from first grade through high school. These efforts enable Honduran decision-makers and parents to know how their children and schools are performing. They also provide critical information necessary to improve educational quality and help Honduras meet the Millennium Development Goals of universal access to preschool education and 100 percent primary school completion by 2015.
With USAID assistance, the Government of Honduras is decentralizing education from the Ministry of Education to the local level, bringing decision-making authority to communities, and facilitating parental participation. To ensure that children receive a quality education, USAID is promoting greater family engagement and civil society advocacy efforts. USAID’s collaboration with the Honduran private sector is also essential to improving education across the country.
USAID’s alternative education activities reduce gaps in quality and access to education. Efforts focus on young people with limited educational opportunities who may otherwise be drawn to crime, gangs, and violence. The programs strengthen students’ basic education skills and reduce student failure rates for first through ninth grades. USAID also provides Honduran youth with vocational training directly linked to employment.
Last updated: November 20, 2014