Update Week 3

Joe Oliverio, the executive director of RESA 5, asked me to author an article for the upcoming newsletter. The article was to be about something related to education in Honduras. While back-to-school shopping was not my immediate idea, it quickly became something I wanted to write about. Below is the article:

I know that I am not the only teacher who is a bit of a school supplies aficionado. As long as I do not have to wade through the crowds at Walmart, I actually enjoy buying new supplies. Within the first two weeks in Honduras, I discovered that back-to-school shopping is vastly different here than it is at home. In fact, it is the financial burden of back-to-school shopping that can keep education out of reach of many impoverished children. 

In January, I began a six-month journey working with Mountain Top Ministries (www.mtmhonduras.org) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. One major focus of MTM is to provide a home and educational opportunities to Honduran boys. Schools on the Honduran schedule begin in February and end in December. I quickly learned the extravagance of school supplies shopping here. When I first saw the list of necessary supplies for one student, I was stunned.  Of course pencils, pens, and notebooks (one boy had to have 12 notebooks!) were on the list; but a package of toilet paper, Pepto-Bismol, pain reliever, hand soap, and paper for teachers’ bulletin boards were also included. With five boys starting school, the cost for all of this quickly added up. That was in addition to the cost of registration, uniforms, and textbooks. Thankfully, many generous supporters helped with this financial burden, but most families here cannot rely on outside donations.

Granted, our boys attend a private, bi-lingual school (as we want to give them the best chance at succeeding into adulthood). However, the required supplies for public school students are cost prohibitive for many families, too. While public school students do not have to pay tuition, they are still required to purchase a uniform and buy many of the same supplies as their private school counterparts. The government does not provide schools with many necessities, so the burden falls on the students. To buy all of the items on the supply list, a family would have to spend $50-100 per child. In a country where more than 60% are identified as impoverished, the cost of education is too high. Many families, especially families with multiple children, decide to forgo school. Without this education, the hope of escaping poverty fades.

The transformative power of education has and will continue to change our world. However, this power should not merely be available for those who can afford it. I am thankful that I teach in a place where a student’s socioeconomic status does not hinder his/her potential, but this not the norm for much of the world. I hope and pray that all students, rich and poor, will one day have the opportunity to receive life-changing education.