Public Education in Peru: Challenges and Comparisons

Understanding the limitations of public education in Peru requires a look at the numbers.
Structure and Hours of Education:

• Primary education lasts for 6 years, followed by 5 years of secondary education.
• The academic year spans 40 weeks, but with 6 weeks of additional holidays, it amounts to 34 weeks of schooling annually.
• Students attend 20 hours of classes per week, totaling approximately 680 hours per year.

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​Comparative Analysis:

• Over 11 years, a Peruvian student receives around 7,480 hours of education.
• In contrast, an American student typically receives about 1,100 hours per year over 12 years, totaling 13,200 hours.
• European students receive about 1,250 hours annually, amounting to 15,000 hours over 12 years.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges by closing schools in Peru for over two years.
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Secondary Education Limitations:

• Unlike Europe and the US, where students can choose between academic and professional tracks in secondary education, Peru offers a single, uniform path for all students.
• This one-size-fits-all approach means that secondary education alone is often insufficient for entering the workforce, as it focuses on memorization rather than practical skills.
• The secondary education system is intended to prepare students for higher education, yet ironically, it fails to align with university entry requirements, as subjects like physics, chemistry, and advanced mathematics are not included in the curriculum but are essential for most university entrance exams.

Higher Education Access:

• Public higher education in Peru suffers from limited capacity. For instance, Cusco has only one public university offering about 2,000 slots per year.
• In 2023, approximately 20,000 students competed for these limited spots, leaving 18,000 students without a clear educational path forward. Many must either prepare to retake the entrance exams the following year or face the prospect of underpaid and unstable employment.

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