In Guatemala, Church strives to improve infrastructure in educational system

The new Juan Bautista Adventist School was recently inaugurated and toured by church leaders, members and students during a special ceremony. The purchase of the new school is part of a larger strategic plan to expand the educational system in the country. Images by Gustavo Menendez.

March 30, 2016 | Guatemala City, Guatemala | Gustavo Menendez/IAD Staff

The Adventist educational system in Guatemala continues to strengthen as leaders invest resources in its infrastructure, school expansions, teachers and ensuring quality Christian education to its thousands of students.

Pastor Israel Leito, president of the Inter-American Division, speaks during the inaugural ceremony of the new JUBA school.

Just recently, a large new school was inaugurated in Guatemala City as “Juan el Bautista, Adventist School” (or John the Baptist Adventist School) with a large campus of 34 classrooms and with the capacity for 800 students. The school has 134 students enrolled this school and is an investment of nearly one million dollars, church leaders said.

Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in the Inter-American Division, reminded church leaders and teachers how important Adventist education is for the world. “Our Adventist school classrooms have wrought many prime ministers, governors, professionals and productive persons to benefit humanity,” said Pastor Leito. “Our goal is not for profit-making but to benefit the community we serve, live and choose to impact.

It’s about “opening the doors to a safe place in the community, where there is no evil and will be an oasis of knowledge and good principles,” Pastor Leito emphasized.

As church leaders reflected on the growth of the Adventist educational system as the second largest in the world with 1.5 million students in 150 countries, Faye Patterson, associate education director for Inter-America, said “Adventist education not only prepares the student for this life but for the joy of serving in the world to come.”

Leaders in Guatemala also inaugurated an expansion of the Maranatha school in the city of Totonicapan in west Guatemala, an investment of more than 200,000 dollars.

Yanet Cima is the education director for the church in Guatemala overseeing 30 schools.

That objective is what has led to adjustments in the educational system, said Yanet Cima, education director in Guatemala. Cima was led to study re-engineering Adventist education in Guatemala simply because it was an pressing need.

“Our educational system was legally and financially unprotected,” said Cima. “Each institution did whatever it could…without meeting legal as well as church requirements.”

This led the church to create an educational institution which oversees Adventist education throughout the country, said President of the church in Guatemala Pastor Guenther Garcia. “This office oversees academic excellence, development and fulfillment of administrative requirements, accreditation, legal and tax demands.” So far it has brought a substantial improvement in 85 percent of Adventist institutions, affirmed Garcia.

Cima said church leaders are focused on strengthening each of its 30 schools, offering excellence in education, increase in teacher salaries, investment in renovating and building infrastructure, protecting faculty with a retirement plan and converting each school an evangelistic center focused in the spiritual renewing of faculty and students, and reaching families in the community.

In the Metropolitan conference, where JUBA is located, the church has focused on infrastructure, hiring qualified teachers and administrative personnel, offering training, seeking the support of administrators and church members, and providing financial support and the proper tools they need.

Students at the new school perform their civic activities during the ceremony at new school in Guatemala City.

Church members are so committed to the plan in the conference that they support education with 10 percent of their offerings for its development and improvement.

Challenges are still pressing in some schools as teachers salaries need to be stabilized so they do not leave their posts and seek better remuneration elsewhere, said Cima. Ensuring more Adventist teachers are trained and qualified to improve the level of academic excellence is also pressing, she added.

According to the magazine Contrapoder, there are only three Adventist schools among the 200 best schools in relation to number of students who pass university admission tests for the fist time in the 2,000 educational institutions in Guatemala.

That concerns leaders and motivates them to continue ensuring that the Adventist educational system moves forward with firm steps for higher quality standards.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Guatemala oversees 30 schools with nearly 7,000 enrolled students.