Teaching English in Ecuador – School Supplies Needed!

Hi family and friends! In October, I will be traveling to Quito, Ecuador to volunteer. I will be teaching English in schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods. I will be teaching students between the ages of 3-12 in a class size of 15-35.

In Ecuador, low-income families can’t afford English classes which impacts their ability to secure well-paid and stable jobs. There are numerous factors that lead to children in Ecuador not being adequately educated, including but not limited to: poverty, and quality of education.

Poverty plays a critical role in students’ lives and affects their access to resources as well as their mental health. For instance, unfortunately, 50% of children live in poor households without access to drinking water, sanitation, or healthcare. Although primary school in Ecuador is free, parents still have high costs related to uniforms and English textbooks. Children from poor families (mostly Afro-Ecuadorian and indigenous) are often forced to work to support their families instead of attending school. Many girls are also forced to drop out of school because a) some families still believe that education is not necessary for girls and b) early pregnancies.

The quality of education is very poor in urban areas where teachers are expected to teach in a class size of 50-60 students. The lack of infrastructure, shortage of teachers, and small classrooms prevent the quality of education to increase.

Some concerning facts about the education system in Ecuador:

• Adult illiteracy rate : 8% - 11%
• 9 out of 10 children under 6 years old don’t have access to preschool /daycare
• 1 out of 10 children repeats first grade
• 1 out of 3 children fails to complete primary education
• In rural areas: 5 out of 10 single-teacher schools lack electricity, and 9 out of 10 are without telephone access or other means of communication

Any donations made here will help schools with the following items:

□ Stickers

□ Stamps

□ Posters

□ Balloons

□ Notebooks

□ Chalk

□ Paper

□ Pencils

□ Pens

□ Markers

□ Board markers, erasers

□ Children’s songs CD

Thank you so much for your support!

To read more about education in Ecuador, or Ecuador in general, please visit: http://uis.unesco.org/en/country/ec?theme=education-and-literacy.