Education system in Honduras

After doing some reading about Honduras' education system, I realized how important it is for kids there to be exposed to the English language in order to compete with surrounding countries.  Here are some unfortunate statistics regarding education in Honduras:

• 13.5% of children do not have access to an education
• More than half a million people in Honduras are illiterate (equivalent to the entire population between the ages of 15 and 40)
• More than 90% of students need to repeat grades
• Over 50% of students never finish primary school
• Only 8% of students attend a university
• Schools are so understaffed that some teachers have up to 80 kids in one classroom

(Information from http://www.globalexchange.org/country/honduras/education and http://countrystudies.us/honduras/58.htm)

Students who learn to speak English have a better chance of getting a job when they finish school.  Unfortunately, there are very few English-speaking teachers or volunteers available to work with the kids.  Hopefully, my three-week volunteer program will make a difference in the lives of the students I work with.