President Ricardo Maduro entered power after the democratically elected Zelaya was ousted in a U.S. backed coup (supported by upcoming democratic nominee Hillary Clinton under the U.S.’s false claims of election fraud). Zelaya had supported a shift away from dependency on U.S. capital and a shift to reliance on ALBA the Latin American/Carribean system of trade using Sucre currency, free public education and free public healthcare. By contrast, Ricardo Maduro further opened up Honduran markets to the U.S. economy and favors privatized, decentralized education. Maduro instititued a system called PROHECO (The Honduran Program for Community Education) wherein the management of schools is placed in the hands of businesses and NGOs “in conversation” with communities. However, contention between businesses running schools and community demands has led to schools burning versus dialogue. The main NGO now in charge of running the majority of schools is called FEREMA, an organization created by the President and based in National Party politics. Because this organization is linked so closely with the government, national agendas are pushed in many schools.
Additionally, under this system teachers are hired in only 10-month stints and based on their allegiance to the government. They obtain no retirement benefits, receive no formal training, earn less than minimum wage and can be fired for saying something that goes against government initiatives, reducing bargaining power and a diversity of ideas. As these schools spread, public schools and public school programming are defunded nationwide and have disappeared from rural zones. USAID teams up with FEREMA to operate small-scale projects in “trouble zones” without access to free education, by passing out backpacks to discourage gang-violence while financially supporting a system where many of these same students cannot afford quality education. In 2011 a new education law passed that would convert all public schools k-9 to this decentralized system under FEREMA’s management and make all students pay for the completion of their high school and university education . In response, students demand the law be overturned as it would leave millions of children and young people without the right to a secular, free and compulsory education, and it would lower the quality of education by removing teacher professionals.
Additionally, under this system teachers are hired in only 10-month stints and based on their allegiance to the government. They obtain no retirement benefits, receive no formal training, earn less than minimum wage and can be fired for saying something that goes against government initiatives, reducing bargaining power and a diversity of ideas. As these schools spread, public schools and public school programming are defunded nationwide and have disappeared from rural zones. USAID teams up with FEREMA to operate small-scale projects in “trouble zones” without access to free education, by passing out backpacks to discourage gang-violence while financially supporting a system where many of these same students cannot afford quality education. In 2011 a new education law passed that would convert all public schools k-9 to this decentralized system under FEREMA’s management and make all students pay for the completion of their high school and university education . In response, students demand the law be overturned as it would leave millions of children and young people without the right to a secular, free and compulsory education, and it would lower the quality of education by removing teacher professionals.