Education

Although El Salvador has high enrolment rates in basic education (98%), national statistics show that 75 percent of children in rural areas do not complete basic education. In this context, poor performance of students in national standardized testing indicates that children do not reach the desired learning outcomes hence the urgency to qualify the education area. Another important fact is the Gini index where El Salvador ranks at 52.4 percent demonstrating high inequity in income distribution. This unfair distribution of wealth has a direct impact not only in education, but also in accessing other basic services like health, housing, recreation, etc.

Upon this reality, Save the Children is aiming to ensure all children, especially those living under vulnerable conditions, have access to quality education and stay in school until completion.  Major activities of the education program in El Salvador to improve learning outcomes include on-site technical support to improve teaching practices at schools; strengthening parent-teacher associations and school capacity in strategic planning; and technical assistance to the Ministry of Education at the local and national level on pedagogical practices, transition strategies and monitoring progress.