Agreement 1323-SE-2023

This agreement authorizes private bilingual schools in Honduras to offer the International Baccalaureate in Sciences and Humanities (a 12-grade program) starting September 2023, with a curriculum combining national and international standards. It affects high school students in authorized private institutions that meet required infrastructure and specialized resources.

Whereas it is within the competence of the Secretariat of State in the Office of Education to authorize, organize, direct and supervise education at all levels of the National Educational System.

Whereas Article 157 of the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras establishes that education at all levels of the formal educational system, except the higher level, shall be authorized, organized, directed and supervised exclusively by the Executive Power through the Secretariat of Education.

Whereas Article 36, numeral 8 of the Law of Public Administration mandates that it is an attribution of the Secretaries of State to issue agreements and resolutions in matters of their competence; consequently, they are authorized to issue this type of administrative acts framed within the principle of legality for sound and effective administration in the field of education.

Whereas by means of AGREEMENT No. 2188-SE-2014, the Study Plan of the Bachelor's Degree in Sciences and Humanities was approved, with mandatory character at the national level in Governmental and Non-Governmental Educational Centers.

Whereas by means of AGREEMENT No. 1641-SE-2015, authorization is granted as of the first of August of the year 2015, for the Study Plan of the Career of "International Bachelor's Degree in Sciences and Humanities" with a duration of three years.

Whereas in the Plan for the Refoundation of the Education Sector a process of curricular adjustment is established of the Study Plan of the Secondary Education Level that allows for the phase-out of the current educational proposal.

Whereas by means of AGREEMENT No. 0166-SE-2023, it is declared that, as of the year 2023, the academic offer of the Secondary Education Level of the Bachelor's Degree in Sciences and Humanities with its different orientations, enters into a phase-out process in the eleventh and twelfth grades; which consists of the gradual transition from a system of semester promotion to a system of annual promotion of the current Study Plan.

Whereas the curriculum used by Bilingual Schools responds to national and international expectations, thus making it a complex document that strives to cover Honduran requirements and those of other nations.

Whereas Non-Governmental Educational Centers may offer their services in the levels, modalities and specialties of formal education authorized, organized, directed and supervised by the Secretariat of State in the Office of Education.

Whereas Non-Governmental Educational Centers must develop the Basic National Curriculum (CNB) of the corresponding level and the curricular standards authorized by the Secretariat of State in the Office of Education and may introduce modifications that improve the academic and personal development of students.

Whereas the Study Plan for the International Bachelor's Degree in Sciences and Humanities detailed hereinafter is adjusted according to the elements of the curriculum and relates favorably with the required adjustments regarding learning outcomes, content, methodology, forms of evaluation and promotion.

Whereas Non-Governmental Educational Centers must teach the Curricular Spaces concerning national territory and the history of Honduras as established by the Constitution of the Republic, in the Spanish language and by Honduran teachers.

Whereas according to Technical Opinion No. 009-SDGEM-2023, dated July 26, 2023, the Sub-directorate General of Secondary Education, appointed to issue Technical Opinion, pronounced itself as follows: It is appropriate to issue the agreement for the operation of the Study Plan of the International Bachelor's Degree in Sciences and Humanities, in tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade.

Whereas the curricular structure of the International Bachelor's Degree in Sciences and Humanities follows the model of the plan and programs of the Bachelor's Degree in Sciences and Humanities (BCH), organized by academic areas with their respective curricular spaces. To this structure have been incorporated the additional components of the international programs: elective curricular spaces by areas, advanced courses with university credits and the rigorous curricular spaces of the International Bachelor's Degree.

Whereas it corresponds to the Secretariat of Education to comply with the process of Educational Transformation in a systematic and progressive manner through administrative actions and mechanisms, in accordance with a Phase-out Plan to be executed as of the date of its implementation, in the authorized educational centers of the Non-Governmental Bilingual sector of the country that will operate with the Career of International Bachelor's Degree in Sciences and Humanities.