Easing the transition to lower secondary school: Promising approaches from Guatemala
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Loading... - Lara Vossen
- 26 Oct 2022
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In Guatemala, 81% of students complete primary school, but only 65% enroll in lower secondary school — the equivalent of grades seven through nine in the United States.1
This is consistent with the global trend of high dropout rates among students transitioning from primary to lower secondary school. As students progress through the education system, physical, economic and social barriers to attendance and achievement intensify, and the trade-off between employment and continued education becomes more significant.
The benefits of secondary education extend beyond the individual. At the secondary level of schooling, students develop the critical thinking and collaboration skills to participate in modern economies and democratic institutions. Secondary education also contributes to improved health, lower infant mortality and greater equality.
The Guatemalan education system faces challenges at the secondary level, because its already-limited resources have been prioritized for the primary level. As a result, secondary schools have a shortage of trained teachers who receive little to no monitoring or support in carrying out the national curriculum.
FHI 360 sought to improve the quality and relevance of lower secondary education in Guatemala through the Secondary Education Quality Improvement Program. Funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, this was the first large-scale project in the country to focus on lower secondary education. From the project, FHI 360 gained insight into what strategies can successfully improve students’ transition from primary to lower secondary school. Here is what we learned. Read More...
