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EDUCATION IN SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIAChoosing where to get an education is a very important decision. In Santa Cruz you’ll have plenty of excellent schools, universities, and institutes to choose from throughout the city, and at various price ranges. There are some points to take into consideration, however:
There are many private and public schools in Santa Cruz, but the public school system is a disaster. The schools are not maintained, and many don’t have adequate furnishings or classroom materials, as you can see in this photo of a typical rural school. Teachers are constantly going on strike (closing down the schools for days or weeks on end) to protest for higher wages or other issues. You’ll most likely just want to stay away from the public education system in general, including the state universities. Many public schools are being supported, maintained, furnished and supplied by non-profit institutions and these are usually in excellent condition. You can see how the children thrive and their learning level is higher than the national public school average at these schools; but, most are found in the rural areas. (To see how you can help support a child, school, or community improvement project in Bolivia, check out one of several extraordinary non-profit organizations under my Non-Profit section to your left). Because of this situation, there is an abundance of excellent private universities and schools to choose from. (Many of these have agreements with other institutions overseas as well as exchange programs, such as UPSA University's MBA exchange with Thunderbird in Arizona. Many high schools participate in Rotary Club and other exchange programs as well). Price ranges at these institutions vary and there are often waiting lists, so it’s always good to begin your search a year or two in advance. There are also specific entrance requirements to fulfill, and these can differ from one educational institution to the next. In Bolivia, the school year runs from February to November and summer vacation is in December and January (these being the two hottest months of the year). Don’t forget that the seasons are reversed in the Southern and Northern atmospheres when making your decision. If you plan to return to your country of origin shortly, you’ll want to plan accordingly. There are a few private schools that observe the U.S. September to June school year. A few other things to keep in mind: Elementary and high school students attend school either in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on which shift they are assigned. Therefore, the school day is short and working parents must arrange for child care for the remainder of the day. Because each school day shift is only 4 hours long, students may also attend school on Saturdays as well. There are several good daycare centers for preschool children in Santa Cruz, and many families also have a housekeeper or nanny who picks up and drops off the children. Most schools do not provide meals, and most require uniforms. Most schools do not provide school buses either, and few provide for after-school or extracurricular activities. (Schools that observe the U.S. school year usually also observe a full Monday to Friday 7-hour school day, and provide meals, buses, and extracurricular programs). There are many other types of schools in Santa Cruz including trade and vocational schools, academies of the arts, beauty schools, driving schools, and training centers. For our purposes we will list these under
institutes.
(Click here to find out why I endorse the world renowned
KUMON
method of learning so highly.) Historical Notes: During the colonial times, only the sons of the elite were educated. Little effort was made to teach the natives. After Bolivia declared its independence, several decrees were passed to make elementary-level learning and a public school system obligatory, but little was actually accomplished. In 1931 Elizardo Pérez founded a large nuclear school (a central school with five to eight grades) near Lake Titicaca which became the prototype for rural education in Bolivia. Today, rural schools are still called "núcleos". In 1947 the government passed a literacy law requiring every literate Bolivian to teach at least one illiterate person to read and write and in 1956 legislation was passed that founded the public school system that still exists today. Several changes were made in 1969 and 1973 making education through age 14 compulsory. The Bolivian education system currently has a 5-year primary cycle (1st - 5th grades), followed by 3 years of intermediate school (6th - 8th grades), and four years of high school. All students follow the same curriculum during the first two years of high school. During the last two years of high school students choose to graduate with a degree in humanities or one of various technical fields. A baccalaureate degree is awarded upon graduation and is necessary in order to take the university entrance exam. In addition, the Ministry of Education and Culture established several hundred adult literacy centers, most in urban areas. Spending on education is not well-organized and most goes to operating costs, leaving little for expansion. About 87% of children attend primary schools, but only about 35% make it to high school. Drop-out rates are very high, especially among the poor. In rural areas, only about 40% of children attend school beyond the third grade, where many speak Quechua, Aymara or other dialects and have trouble taking classes in Spanish as Bolivia does not yet have a bilingual school system. Private schooling is beyond the reach of the majority of the population and university entrance exams, for those who can afford to attend, are extremely competitive and difficult. Most upper class families send their children to private Bolivian universities (which are very good) or to Europe, the U.S., Argentina, Brazil or Chile to study.
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