Education in Roatan

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There are two systems in Honduras based on when the school year starts.  There is the Honduran system, where the public schools classes start in February and finish in November, and the U.S. system in which schools start in August/September and finish in May/June.  Depending on the system you choose, the school definitions and levels can vary.

According to the Honduran constitution, all children receive free education up to K9. However, there are rarely enough schools, teachers, union issues, textbooks, etc. to provide for quality education. This is especially true for those Honduran children that live in rural areas. It is also a requirement for children to wear school uniforms, and have shoes, backpacks, etc., items that often exceed the financial means of the poorer families. Less than a third of the population gets to K9 without repeating at least one grade. Classrooms therefore can have a mix of ages within the same primary school grade level and are often 50+ students per classroom. Also not all public schools have room for K7-K9, so they can go to school in the evenings or have to travel to a different school to go to school outside of their community, which is why the dropout rates increase significantly after 6th grade, especially on the mainland.

 Private schools are most often known as bilingual schools in Honduras.  A bilingual school is education in an English-language school system in which students with little fluency in English are taught in both their native language (Spanish) and English. The level at which “bilingual” is taught across Honduras can vary from school to school. Many bilingual schools on the mainland and many who follow the Honduran schooling calendar usually only have one class taught in English, so this can be a very general description for schools that are not considered “public” schools.  It is important to ask the question “how many / which classes are taught in English?” when you are talking to a school.

Most important decisions for schooling come prior to secondary school at 6th grade. Most expats want their children to be able to easily integrate into the schools in their country of origin if needed. It is critical to investigate whether education, exam scores, diplomas, etc. are transferable to school districts in your own country. Be sure to educate yourself on what would be required of your children if you were to return home.

Generally, the expat schools in Roatan use a US-based curriculum and then they facilitate the education around that curriculum. As these schools are US-based, all diplomas are issued in the USA. As a result, there should be little to no difficulty transferring back into that education system. Check which state issues them from each school before signing up. Be careful though as since these educational systems can allow students to progress at their own speed, they may be ahead (or behind) students of the equivalent age attending public schools in the USA. If they have passed a year the "No child left behind" law means they must progress and they will not be allowed in a class with children their age when returning to the USA and as they move into high school, they will be required to complete the appropriate amount of credits to graduate based on the state requirements, which can vary, state by state.

The school you choose will be based on your budget, location, your assessment of the curriculum, and how comfortable you feel with the teachers and parents you meet. If you are considering staying in Roatan for a while, it is important to understand that not all private schools are legally registered with the Department of Education in Honduras.  Each school has a SACE number if they are considered a registered school.  If they are not registered with the government system, it can be difficult to transfer to a new school and will require legal fees and apostille documents to do so.