Faith-Based Education in Latin America and the Caribbean

This study provides an overview of the role, contributions, challenges, and opportunities of faith-based education in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region and presents information on future education programs and policies. It particularly focuses on evaluating the access, safety, and quality of education services for marginalized and vulnerable children and youth in the LAC region over the past 30 years.

The study defines marginalized and vulnerable children and youth as those experiencing extreme poverty, affected by irregular migration and/or violence, with disabilities, living in rural and urban environments, as well as ethnic and linguistic minorities and others relevant to each local context. It engaged local stakeholders, including educators, family and community members, religious actors, development practitioners, government officials, academics, and researchers—to provide an analysis of the role and contributions of faith-based educational institutions on education development. This research explored schools and education programs from various faith-based backgrounds.

The methodology for this study was primarily a synthesis of available literature and secondary data combined with a multi-case study drawing upon available literature/documents and key informant interviews. The inquiry functions at two levels: 1) a broad overview, synthesis of trends, and key themes from across the LAC region, and 2) a multi-case study that includes country-level cases (the Dominican Republic [DR], Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador), and illustrative mini-cases of policies or organizations from within these countries and across the region.