Public School Teacher Short Term Mission Trip
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Fri June 28 - Thu July 4, 2024.
GUATEMALA MISSION TRIP Total Cost: $750. Flights and International Health Insurance not included. International Health Insurance is required. MISSION TRIP Fri June 28 - Thu July 4, 2024. Fri June 28: Arrive in Guatemala City, travel to our Team House Sat June 29: Visit our Church and conduct a VBS (Vacation Bible School) Sun June 30: Sight Seeing in Antigua! Mon July 1 - Wed July 3: Train and help local school teachers gain the knowledge and skills they need to teach well Thu July 4: Return to the USA As a School Teacher professionally educated, certified, and trained in the US, YOU are highly trained and qualified to help public school teachers in very poor rural areas outside of the US. THIS specific mission trip will provide you with the opportunity to share your personal unique skill set with a teacher whose only way to repay you is with a warm smile and a heart felt "Thank You!" If you're interested in this trip, contact David Sgro ASAP! |
6 alarming facts about education in Guatemala
1. Teachers Are Poorly Trained
The majority of teachers in Guatemalan primary schools have a high school-level education and lack exposure to best practices in teaching. In the classroom, teachers receive little to no support from administrators or fellow teachers. It’s an everyday struggle to provide an effective learning environment for students. Most teachers are unfamiliar with the subjects, techniques, and methods that would enable them to transform their teaching style.Guatemala has one of the highest illiteracy rates and most profound income gaps in the Western hemisphere. 2. Classrooms Lack Books The typical Guatemalan classroom environment is chaotic. Students are often distracted or bored, and teachers feel unprepared and overwhelmed. Most primary schools in Guatemala simply do not have the key resources they need, namely age-appropriate Spanish-language books. Teachers and students in Guatemala may have a few copies of outdated textbooks or scraps of newspapers as reading materials. Students have little opportunity to read independently or explore their interests. Shockingly, 70% of children are in school and not learning basic reading and writing skills. The country faces major challenges in education quality. Only approximately 40% of sixth graders reached performance standards in reading. Most Guatemalan youth do not reach high school, and 41% of teenagers nationwide are out of school. This rate rises to amongst the indigenous regions. 3. The Guatemalan Government Provides Little Funding for Education The Guatemalan government does not budget the funds necessary to provide the education system, even the basics. Guatemala spends 2.8% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on education—far less than the regional average in Central America. This minimal funding, coupled with poor government effectiveness, means that the system is corrupt and ineffective. The learning outcomes of the students are hence dismal. At many schools, there are no desks or blackboards—only tables and chairs that are old and deteriorating The school you are working with has one toilet for 200 children and 5 teachers, and currently is not working, so children can only go to school for 2 hours in the morning. 4. High School Graduation Is Not Synonymous With Knowledge According to Brenda Sanchinelli’s 2017 article in Prensa Libre, “Graduating from high school in Guatemala is not synonymous with knowledge. This is reflected in tests organized by authorities in the Guatemalan Ministry of Education in 2013. 137,460 teens were evaluated, and 92.7% failed the mathematics portion, and 75.5% failed the language portion, according to Digeduca data.” 5. The US Congress Is Involved in Education in GuatemalaIn 2019, the US House of Representatives introduced legislation regarding education in Central America that focuses on the Northern Triangle region of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. 70% of migrants from the Northern Triangle claim that they received no education beyond primary school. This factor contributes to their desire to migrate north with their families. The U.S. is providing data to Guatemala about its educational systems to show them the high-need areas that need the most attention. 6. Guatemalans Are Migrating for a Better Education Current migration rates from Central America to the U.S. are fueled in part by parents’ desires to access better education for their children. As noted above, public schools in Guatemala (and Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador) are underfunded. Private schools in the region are prohibitively expensive for many families. In some cases, parents spend over half of their income to send their children to private schools, which is not financially sustainable. Many Guatemalans seek opportunity and safety for their children by emigrating and sending them to US public schools. Children and youth need to stay in school or find another way to gain the basic skills necessary to work and earn an income as an adult. This educational foundation is critical to providing a realistic alternative to migration. |
