In developing countries
like Guatemala, much
of the population lives in poverty with little access
to adequate jobs, medical care, and housing. Education
offers the best hope for these countries to advance
and to sustain that advancement into the future.
As
in most countries, there is already an educational system
in Guatemala—basic infrastructures are in place such
as school buildings, desks, and teachers. The quality
of education, however, is very poor. The greatest reason
for this is the lack of textbooks and other learning
materials. Often as much as 80% of each class period
is wasted in copying text and diagrams from the blackboard—information
which could be provided much more effectively in textbooks.
Furthermore, many students fail
to develop proper study skills because they have no
books to take home for further reading and investigation.
These factors result in low enthusiasm, poor performance,
and high dropout rates.
Rural Schools
GLP programs serve rural Guatemala, mainly in the country’s Central and Western Highlands. Program regions are inhabited primarily by indigenous Mayan Indians and plagued by systemic poverty, illiteracy, and inequality. The school systems in these communities are under-resourced and typically neglected by government support structures.
