by Malley McCoy and Jaclyn Guthrie
The education system in Costa Rica is
improving daily, but there is still a lot of progress to be made. Currently,
this system trails education systems in the United States by approximately
twenty years. The following brief information will educate those interested in
the current state of the Costa Rican education system.
There are three cycles in the Costa Rican
Education System, much like that of the United States. Most Costa Rican students
finish all three cycles while only about half move on to college.
- Cycle 1... Elementary School
- Cycle 2... Middle School
- Cycle 3... High School
Uniforms are required by all Costa Rican
students throughout the education system. These uniforms are usually navy blue
shorts, pants, and skirts accompanied with white shirts and black shoes.
The schooling environment in Costa Rica
consists of a warm, relaxed, family-like setting. In fact, many of the
students are related to the teachers responsible for their educations. Because
of this, disipline is applied similar to a parent-child relationship rather
than the hands-off U.S. methods. On these same lines, Costa Rican students
receive the same type of personal freedom in school as they receive in their
homes.
The Costa Rican education system greatly
trails the United States education system in government funding. School
supplies are in sparse supply while books and other printed education material
is barely found at all. In some schools that were witnessed, old broken desks
and tables were accompanied by decrepid blackboards with holes and damage. At
this same school, the special education classes were held in an old supply
closet hardly big enough for two small tables and without ample lighting.
Although the education system in Costa Rica
is progressing well, they still have many improvements to make before reaching
the level of U.S. education systems.
Inquiries: mjm3119@acs.tamu.edu
Web Administrator: Prof. Richard
Parker
Last updated 12/12/98