Description

EDUCHN indicates the person's educational attainment in Honduras in terms of the level of schooling completed.

Comparability — General

The education system in Honduras follows a 6-3-3 or 6-3-4 structure, which includes 6 years of primary, 3 years of a common cycle, and 3 to 4 years of a diversified cycle (depending on the field of study). The number of years reported in the upper cycle change across census samples: up to 2 years in 1961, up to 3 years in 1974 and 1988, and up to 4 years in 2001.

The most recent reform in the education system is associated to the implementation of the National Basic Curriculum and it is reflected in the source variable codes for the 2001 census. After this reform, primary education and the common cycle were merged to create a "basic education" level, which comprises a total of 9 grades. Thus, the last three grades of basic education are considered to be equivalent to the "common cycle" in EDUCHN.

Post-secondary education includes technical and university degrees. Post-secondary technical programs lead to associate degrees, with expected duration of 2 to 3 years. The first stage of university education is composed of bachelor's degree programs, which last 5 to 6 years. Master degree programs take 2 to 3 years to complete, and specializations last 2 to 4 years.

The 1961 and 1974 samples do not distinguish between types of post-secondary education, but university and non-university studies are separately identified in 1988 and 2001. The 1961 sample does not report the number of years reached on higher education, or whether the person completed the program. Graduate education is only reported in the 2001 census.

Pre-primary and literacy courses are only included in 1988 and 2001.

Universe

Availability

• Honduras: 1961, 1974, 1988, 2001