La Resistencia

There has been unrest among Honduras’ educational system for decades now. Teachers unions are almost always on strike. Students are supposed to attend something like 240 days of schooling per year, but with all of the days off (thanks to the strikes), they spend about half that in the classroom. It’s no longer surprising for me to hear our neighbor’s excitement because she can stay home from school. There haven’t been classes for the past three weeks, and there’s talk of the students missing the majority of the year.

The teachers who are a part of the Resistencia are on strike for an increase in salary. That said, some believe that the teachers are just out for money (since they already get a decent salary).  There are a number of teachers that weren’t paid for all of last year because of budget shortages. Others blame the oppressive system/government. If teachers aren’t receiving the support that they need, then they should be speaking up and demanding better conditions for themselves. It's hard to tell what's really going on when everyone has their own opinion (including the newspapers that are owned by influential families).  

But it’s not that simple. There is a lot of political rage behind all this: ever since the coup d’état (when Zelaya was removed from office in 09), the Zelayistas have spoken up.  This past week in Tegucigalpa there was a busload of teachers loaded with rocks, throwing them at passersby.

There’s talk of the country wiping the teaching staff clean, suspending classes for six months, and completely rehiring. Apparently there are a lot of certified teachers available to replace the current staffing. President Lobo threatens that if classes don’t resume this week, then teachers will start to be fired. We’ll see what really happens.

What better way to oppress a country than to destroy educational services?

Even within the universities there is a lot of corruption among admissions and content. If you’re well connected, it doesn’t matter what you score on the entrance exam (or if you take it at all). And if you’re not connected, you’re out of luck: you might have to take the test several times.

There’s no way to improve the quality of the students’ education if the teachers are only available for half of the year and aren’t receiving the support that they need. There’s no investment in the youth. (For this, among other reasons, I really appreciate everything that the sisters are doing at the Center. Life continues as normal, regardless of the political situation.)