Honduras Education News

The National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) is giving students and staff a day off on Friday, October 16, to commemorate the anniversary of the university's autonomy, which was granted in 1957.

UNICEF told Congress that over 5,000 Honduran schools—about 27% of the total—lack access to clean water and sanitation, hampering child health and nutrition; lawmakers are exploring which state agency should coordinate repairs and technical support to municipalities.

Congress allocated budget funds for a new building at Instituto Juan Manuel Gálvez in Tomalá, Lempira, where 185 students have held classes in borrowed spaces for three years due to deteriorating facilities with damaged roofs, plumbing, and electrical systems.

Retired and pensioned teachers with Honduras's Inprema must complete a biometric facial-recognition verification between September 29 and November 13, 2026, or risk having their benefits suspended; the process can be done remotely online.

A study by the International Organization for Migration found that 74% of returned adolescent migrants are not studying, even though 85% live within 30 minutes of a school; barriers including documentation issues, poverty, and adaptation difficulties prevent enrollment and persistence.

The United States is providing 395,000 dollars (about 10.5 million lempiras) in desks, didactic materials, and educational equipment across 22 containers to 166 schools in Yoro, Santa Bárbara, Cortés, and Comayagua.

Education officials in Cortés say migrant caravans heading to the United States are driving school dropouts, with students departing alongside parents seeking better work and living conditions; through September 2026, more than 21,000 students had left school in Honduras.

Honduras's Education Ministry confirmed the 2026 school year closes on November 30, with October and November featuring national exams, civic holidays, professional internship reports, and makeup sessions for students who did not meet minimum standards.

A Universidad Tecnológica de Honduras study of 293 first-year students found that math anxiety—especially during exams—is a significant barrier to academic success, with anxiety levels varying by student and rooted in experiences before university.

Education authorities in Cortés, Choluteca, Santa Bárbara, and Gracias a Dios began retroactive 14th-month salary payments to teachers on October 5, with Choluteca also disbursing first-payroll funds to pre-school educators.

Honduras's Education Ministry reported that 21,420 students have dropped out or canceled enrollment so far this year, with two months remaining in the school term; male students account for 55.6% of those who left.

The Social Development Secretariat confirmed that scholarship transfers through Banadesa have begun for students who signed contracts in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, part of a program aimed at over 8,000 vulnerable youth.

The 2027 national budget allocates less funding to the National Autonomous University of Honduras than to the Defense Ministry, threatening the university's infrastructure, laboratory operations, and equipment maintenance.

Honduras's National Autonomous University improved its position in the QS World University Rankings for Latin America and the Caribbean, rising from the 201–250 range to 181–190 and lifting its overall score from 28.0 to 33.7 points.

Honduras's National Autonomous University ranked 181–190 in QS's 2027 Latin America and Caribbean university survey, up from 201–250 a year earlier and now the country's highest-ranked institution with a score of 33.7 points.

The Honduran Social Investment Fund (FHIS) is conducting a technical survey of Juan Brooks School in Roatán to refine an existing design and meet lending and education ministry requirements before moving to bidding and construction of a new building to replace the 51-year-old deteriorating facility serving about 700 students.

The National Autonomous University of Honduras says it will maintain free bus service for students despite demands from the transport regulator to formalize operations and complaints from private bus operators that the program cuts into their revenue.

The Instituto Primero de Mayo in San Pedro Sula will transition to a technical high school starting 2027, offering automotive mechanics and refrigeration programs to meet regional industrial workforce demand.

Congress approved L70 million (about $2.8 million) for construction of classroom facilities at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) campus in Yoro city, aimed at expanding access to higher education for students in Yoro and nearby municipalities.

Thirteen high-school roboticists from San Pedro Sula's Instituto Gubernamental Primero de Mayo placed second at STEAM Passion 2026 in El Salvador, competing against university-level teams with three projects they designed from scratch.

Schools in central Choluteca will close on October 1 to mark the 181st anniversary of the city's charter, granted in 1845; rural schools and other municipalities in the department remain open.

The European Union is hosting a webinar on September 30 for Honduran students interested in postgraduate scholarships in France, Germany, Spain, and other EU nations, including details on the Erasmus program.

The Francisco Morazán Education Department announced it will temporarily transfer a teacher assaulted at a Tegucigalpa school to another location as a safety measure, with local district officials investigating the incident.

A National Congress legislative initiative seeks to introduce Bible reading and moral-values instruction in Honduran public schools through pamphlets emphasizing respect, service, and family principles, with parental consent required.

At the UN General Assembly, Honduras and the Global Partnership for Education announced roughly $70 million for 'Toward a More Inclusive Education: Transforming Rural Schools,' a program aimed at expanding and improving rural school access.

The Education Commission met with the Education Ministry and UPNFM to address concerns about the 10 Bilingual Normal Schools, with lawmakers denying rumors of closures and reaffirming that grades 7–9 will maintain bilingual instruction.

A Liberal Party congressman introduced a bill to allocate 5 million lempiras (about $200,000) to Fundación Shin to support its school infrastructure projects.

Representatives from the Education Ministry's Department of Environmental Education and Health trained teachers and school directors in Roatán and Santos Guardiola on environmental awareness, circular economy practices, and health care, addressing local challenges including sargassum seaweed on island beaches.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano introduced a bill directing the Education Ministry to create and implement a nationwide plan for Bible and values instruction in Honduran schools, framed as strengthening children's and youth's integral education.

Congress president Tomás Zambrano introduced a bill directing the Education Ministry to design and implement a national Bible and values reading program in schools, framed as an ethical formation tool, with the Education Commission now tasked to study and report back.