Schools in Guatemala

After being a teacher for two years, I am very curious about other education systems. My thoughts about the public education system in the United States are pretty low - turns out education is not much better in Guatemala either. According to my newest Spanish teacher, Gladys, many people prefer the private education system here. Gladys was a teacher for many years at a private school and then founded her own school. Now she primarily teaches university level Spanish courses.

In Guatemala, you have the option between public and private education. Public schools are not found in every municipality but if there is one, the state is required to provide a teacher. A classroom will typically house 50 students (and I thought 32 was rough!). Sometimes these classrooms include multiple grade levels. As with large classes in the US, it is difficult to support each student. Often times a teacher will not know a student has a difficult time seeing or hearing. Disruptive students are common too. An ongoing problem is with students sleeping in class. The poor students do not eat enough at home and had a hard time learning. There was a government program to provide a snack to students each day. Some of these expanded to include breakfast and lunch but my teacher was not sure of their current status.

In private schools, colegios, there is a greater diversity of classes and the number of students in each class is typically smaller. However, there are multiple levels of private schools. Each school has a different cost and provides a reciprocal level of education. At the lowest level you may pay 70Q ($10) a month for school and at the upper level 300Q ($80) per student. Keep in the mind that the average Guatemalan family takes in 150-200Q a month. On top of the tuition, you must buy your own books and a uniform for everyday, a uniform for PE, and a uniform for marches or occasions at school.

With a family’s need for income, it is no surprise that many students stop attending school after primary school (6th grade) to start working. I read that some mothers kept their students home from school if they could no afford to send them with money to buy lunch. This eliminates the stigma of poor hungry students in the classroom but impedes their education (as many of us know attendance has a high correlation to success in the classroom).

I want to take a moment to describe the school system here. First, there are preschools and kindergarten classes. Although, you do not need to begin them at a certain age, you do need to complete them before you can enroll in primary school. La escuela primaria includes grades 1-6. From here students progress to la escuela secundaria, which is divided into two sections. Basico is essentially middle school for three years. Here students study a bit of everything. Then is diversificada, similar to high school, for another four years. However, students can focus their learning on technical trades, secretarial skills, or teaching to prepare for a job immediately after completion. Alternatively, students can focus on science and math heavy preparation to prepare for the university. La Universidad is also divided into public and private options but you must qualify for the university on an entrance exam. Before to beginning university studies, you must choose an emphasis (or an exam will give you three options you are most likely to choose). Each program is 3-5 years, depending on your emphasis. Medicine, architecture, and lawyer are all 5 years but accounting is only 3. After you complete your program, you are licensed in your profession. There is no graduate school.

I want to talk more with the two boys who are staying in my family about their experience in schools here. Xela schools have a strong reputation and students move to Xela exclusively to attend the schools. One boy, Michael, is here for high school and another, Jeremia, has been living with my family for the last 4 years to complete high school and start the architecture program at the university.