The Educational System of Costa Rica by RIET_INEW

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF COSTA RICA

The Educational System of Costa Rica Legislation The following group of laws defines and regulates the overall structure of the Costa Rican educational system, and in particular, that of vocational training. The Political Constitution of Costa Rica acts as a basic framework that sets limits and establishes relationships between the powers of government, laying the foundations for the institutional organization of each of the government branches. Along with the Constitution, the “Fundamental Law on Education,” Law 2160, serves as a basic framework for legislative reference. This law sets forth the right to access to education for all, both correlative and comprehensive, and defines the different levels of schooling, from preschool to university. It also establishes the High Council, an official organism through which the General Directorate operates. Law 1362 is another fundamental piece of legislation, which was reformed to create the High Council of Education to manage official educational policies that are implemented through plans and programs, as well as to oversee the institutional adaptations necessary for compliance with national standards. To regulate national educational relations (between administrators as well as within the student community), the “Educational Code” was created through Law 181. Law 6693 establishes the National Council of Private University Higher Education (CONESUP for its Spanish acronym), which authorizes the creation and operation of private universities; adopts their charters, reforms and academic codes; authorizes schools and degree programs as well as equivalents for prior studies through the Office of Higher Education Planning (OPES for its Spanish acronym); approves matriculation fees and course costs; approves modifications to degree programs; and carries out the inspection of private universities. Executive Order 31635 MEP establishes the Regulation on Learning Assessment, outlining processes of assessment in education. Lastly, Law 6551 is worth noting, which defines the basic operational structure of Non-university Higher Education Schools, #30431-MEP. These institutions offer two- to three-year complete degree tracks for students with a secondary school degree

Educational jurisdictions The Ministry of Public Education (MEP for its Spanish acronym) is the central organism of the Costa Rican educational system. Within the MEP, the High Council of Education manages the official direction of education in the country. The Council is structured in three levels and groups of institutions that are hierarchically dependent and operate with their own objectives and specific areas: • Centralized level: includes the Minister, three Vice Ministers, 25 Directorates and 1864 officials; this space is responsible for implementing the educational policies approved by the High Council of Education. • Regional level: includes the Regional Educational Directorates whose principal duty is to organize, supervise and contextualize national educational policy. There are 27 Regional Directorates and 208 Educational Circuits. According to the MEP, from 2006 to 2014 there were 1,307 active officials.

www.riet-edu.org

INEW

Educational System of Costa Rica

• Educational centers: responsible for the direct processes of teaching and learning with the student population. By 2014 this included 4,523 Educational Centers, with 73,626 teachers and 940,000 students. Different areas of government are involved in the latter two levels in order to foster collaboration among a variety of institutions in the social, economic, political and educational areas, including: trade union organizations, municipalities, community and indigenous development associations, cooperatives, private businesses, NGOs, and national ministries. Municipalities play a key role in the relationships within this area; external relationships between educational institutions and other organizations are developed through: • Boards of Education and Administration: Auxiliary and complementary organisms whose role is to assist with the coordination of program and project development in educational centers. The Boards promote the integration of educational centers into the community and serve to develop links between public and private organizations. They are legal entities with their own budgets and assets, however their activities are subject to the technical and political regulations set forth by the MEP. • School Boards: Assist with primary schools. As with the Boards of Education, they are independent legal entities but their activities must comply with the technical and political guidelines and the central administrative policy of the MEP. • School Cooperatives: Encourage the development of a comprehensive approach to students. Through cooperatives, topics such as decision-making, teamwork, and social and economic development are addressed, focusing on the creation of collaborative and entrepreneurial perspectives. These spaces work towards the institutionalizing of such aspects within educational centers.

Academic structure The Costa Rican educational system is structured as follows: The High Council of Education oversees official education at all levels within the Costa Rican system, with the exception of Higher Education. According to Article 84 in the National Constitution, this level operates independently, and thus may develop its own organization, management, and governance.

General Basic Education

Nursery school Transition period Preschool

First cycle Second cycle Third cycle

Higher Education

Academic track Technical track Artistic track

Non-university higher education University education

Diversified Education

Preschool education This level serves students ages 5.5 to 6.5 and seeks to systematically develop the foundations for their comprehensive education. In addition to the formal structure, this level includes: • Cradle Home: The “Casa Cuna” program works to strengthen maternal bonds, specifically in the cases of single

or widowed mothers. • Daycares: These institutions are dedicated to the care of young children, from their first months to the beginning of their preschool education. • Education and Nutrition Centers (CEN for its Spanish acronym): Offer nutrition education services. • Comprehensive Child Care Centers (CINAI for its Spanish acronym). • Community Homes: This program provides comprehensive care for children from birth to six years.

Basic general education This level of education is compulsory and free for the entire population. It begins at 6.5 years of age. It is composed of cycles I, II (primary school education, after which a degree of primary studies is awarded), and III. The last cycle involves part of high school, in which students study a variety of special subject areas. Completion of this cycle of education concludes compulsory education in Costa Rica.

Diversified education Once cycle III of the above-mentioned studies is completed, students may choose to continue their studies in Diversified Education, which lasts for two to three years. It is important to note that secondary education takes place between the third and fourth cycles. Diversified Education offers the following tracks: • Academic: Two-year program that takes place in traditional schools, granting a secondary school degree. • Artistic: Two-year program that offers the three cycles of Basic General Education. • Technical: Three-year program (in the last three years of high school) in technical schools that offers vocational training at a secondary level. Upon completion students receive the double certification of a secondary school degree and a technical secondary degree, giving them the possibility to either continue with higher education or enter the workforce. Training includes modules in the areas of industry, agriculture, business, and services.

Higher education Education at this level is available at different types of universities: • Public universities, including the University of Costa Rica (UCR), the Distance State University (UNA for its Spanish acronym), and the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR for its Spanish acronym). This group of universities is overseen by the National Council of Rectors (CONARE for its Spanish acronym). • Private universities, of which there are currently 34. It is important to note that since the creation of this type of university in 1997, matriculation in private universities has increased by 25%. • Non-university higher education is found between diversified education and higher education. According to the Costa Rican High Council of Education, this type of further education operates with the following objectives: o Offer training and development programs to members of the community o Promote and participate in research and social action for the betterment of the community o Contribute to preserving, enriching, and disseminating national culture o Offer decentralized services to the official universities of the country, through signed agreements o Foster the country’s advancement toward a more equal, free, democratic, and prosperous society o Offer educational opportunities for academic leveling that prepares students for enrollment in non-university higher education programs Created and regulated through Law 6541, the objective of non-university higher education is to offer two- and three-year programs to students who have graduated from diversified education.

www.riet-edu.org

INEW

Educational System of Costa Rica

It is important to note that all institutions offering this type of education must be officially recognized by the High Council of Education. According to the National Accrediting System for Higher Education (SINAES for its Spanish acronym), there are 340 non-university degree programs. While the majority of these are through private universities, the overall student matriculation at this level is still concentrated in the public sector. At this level there is an emphasis on training in productive areas: information technology, languages, cosmetics, auto mechanics, tourism, culinary arts, maintenance, and industrial production are the most commonly offered course areas.

Adult education Adult education is intended for youth and adults seeking entrance or reentrance into the formal education system. According to the MEP, the educational offering includes the following: • Night schools: Cycle III and Diversified Education institutions. Cycle III involves the 7th, 8th and 9th grades of General Basic Education, and the 10th and 11th grades are Diversified Education. These institutions offer academic and technical tracks and matriculation is for ages 15 and above. • Comprehensive Centers for Youth and Adult Education: These centers offer programming to develop scientific, technical, and ethical skills, seeking to improve the relationship between the social and productive sectors. • Professional Institutes for Community Education (IPEC for its Spanish acronym): Spaces for youth and adults that provide formal and informal education by offering technical degree programs and free courses. • Comprehensive Centers for Adult Education (CINDEA for its Spanish acronym): Centers for youth and adults over 15 years of age who have not completed primary or secondary schooling, or who seek technical training in order to enter the job market. • Open Education: The “Educación Abierta” program promotes learning and the strengthening of continuing education, through the following educational programs: o Literacy o First and second cycles of Basic General Education o Third cycle of Basic General Education o Secondary Equivalent Degree for Independent Learners (Bachillerato por Madurez Suficiente) o Distance Diversified Education

Special education The Special Education area of the MEP focuses on developing effective processes and contents to provide quality education for students with special educational needs, encouraging effective conditions for integration. The MEP associates Special Education with the “set of supports and services available to students with special educational needs, be they temporary or long-term.” According to Memo DVM-AC-003-2013, “the supports involve all resources and strategies that facilitate the learning process for students, and are developed and available in educational centers with the aim of accommodating diversity and minimizing obstacles for learning and participation, in accordance with the goals and objectives established in the educational sphere” (MEP 2013). These accommodations may be organizational, curricular, material-based, technological, or personalized. All processes are supported and supervised by the Educational Support Committee (CAE for its Spanish acronym), as stipulated in Law 7600 (Order 37486-MEP). The MEP also possesses complementary resources in certain educational regions, such as Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy.

Complementary education Complementary Education refers to all extracurricular activities that are complementary to activities offered in Cycle III and Diversified Education institutions, supporting the comprehensive education of students. They include: • Art Education • Math Olympiads • School Cooperatives and Student Life Programs • Education for Democracy Program • National Interschool Festival on Drug Prevention • Driver Education for Secondary School

Funding The 2017 National Budget was developed by the National Budget Department (DGPN for its Spanish acronym), within the Ministry of Finance. According to the DGPN, the same percentage of the GDP was budgeted for education in 2017 as in 2016 (7.63%); due to economic growth, the amount increased by $222,381,000.

INSTITUTIONAL BUDGET CLASSIFICATION Budget Heading

2016

2017

2017 Variation

2017 Share

Executive Branchvv

7.453.150,3

8.395.694,0

12,6%

93%

Public Debt Services

2.342.559,0

2.564.941,0

9,5%

28,7%

Special Pension Regimens

838.215,6

886.410,0

5,7%

9,9%

Ministry of Work and Social Security

401.584,8

468.607,0

16,7%

5,2%

Ministry of Transportation and Public Works

354.734,1

466.629,0

31,5%

5,2%

Ministry of Health

279.893,7

307.823,0

10,0%

3,4%

Ministry of Public Safety

219.767,2

219.767,0

0,0%

2,5%

Ministry of Justice and Peace

117.089,5

130.768,0

11,7%

1,5%

Ministry of Finance

112.822,1

116.217,0

3,0%

1,3%

Ministry of Energy and the Environment

55.260,3

56.457,0

2,2%

0,6%

Ministry of Government and Policy

45.033,3

44.792,0

-0,5%

0,5%

Ministry of Youth Culture

44.581,1

45.028,0

1,0%

0,5%

Ministry of Agriculture and Farming

43.560,7

41.213,0

-5,4%

0,5%

www.riet-edu.org

INEW

Educational System of Costa Rica

Of note regarding the budget allocated for education by the Costa Rican government: In 2015 the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highlighted the country as a leader in investment in education in Latin America, allocating 7.6% of the GDP, followed by Colombia with 4.9% and Chile with 6.4% (represented in this last figure is also private investment).

Compulsory education As stated in Article 8 of Chapter II in the Fundamental Law on Education 2160, “Primary schooling is compulsory; preschool and secondary school are free and provided by the government.”

Technical education In Costa Rica, technical training is offered as part of the formal education system through the ETP under the MEP. Informal education is supervised and offered through the National Learning Institute (INA for its Spanish acronym), as well as by private institutes and organizations. Vocational technical education as a sub-system of the formal education system was established through the Fundamental Law on Education 2298, Article 17, on November 22, 1958. This option promotes equal access to opportunities in diverse specializations through the country’s Technical Vocational Schools for those students who seek entrance into the labor market. The technical education offering focuses on three areas: • Business and services • Agricultural • Industrial

Vocational training Vocational training in Costa Rica is part of the informal education system and is offered through the INA, which was founded in 1965 under the following premises: • Organize and coordinate the national system of training and professional development in all economic sectors • Design and implement vocational training programs • Offer technical assistance to institutions and businesses • Establish didactic institutes and training centers • Develop a system of official certification for workers’ skills and knowledge • When necessary and is not the responsibility of other public institutions, enact technical and methodological laws that regulate vocational training services (INA, MEP et al, 2015: 29) The INA works in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in Law 8634 of 2008 (“Banking System Law for Development”), which was developed “as a mechanism to finance and promote technically and economically productive, viable, and practical projects in compliance with the country’s development model for the social mobility of groups targeted by the law. The INA currently has 60 centers and 1,367 instructors. In 2016, 132,850 students were enrolled in INA courses (55% female and 45% male).

BIBLIOGRAFIA www.oei.es/historico/quipu/costarica/index.html#legi es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educación_en_Costa_Rica www.mep.go.cr/ley-reglamento/ley-n%C2%B0-6693-creacion-consejo-nacional-ensenanza-superior-uni- versitaria-privada-conesu www.sanjosecostarica.org/sobre-san-jose-costa-rica/servicios/educacion/ www.mep.go.cr/noticias/patronatos-escolares-tienen-nuevas-reglas-funcionamiento es.slideshare.net/kamimo/patronato-escolar-y-asociacin-de-padres-de-familia-28717330 See “memoria institucional” page 421 mep.go.cr/organigrama/direcciones-regionales-de-educacion World data on education, 6th edition, 2006/7 --UNESCO -IBE mep.go.cr/organigrama/direcciones-regionales-de-educacion www.mep.go.cr/sites/default/files/page/adjuntos/130924-reglamento-juntas-consulta-publica.pdf www.sinaes.ac.cr/images/docs/proceso_acreditacion/SINAES%20Diag%20Parauniversitarias%20Seg%20iforme_VP_5Mayo2011%20PUB.pdf www.sinaes.ac.cr/images/docs/proceso_acreditacion/SINAES%20Diag%20Parauniversitarias%20Seg%20iforme_VP_5Mayo2011%20PUB.pdf cse.go.cr/informacion-general es.slideshare.net/ConsejoSuperior/informacin-general-parauniversitarias Non-university Higher Education Law 30431-MEP www.mep.go.cr/educacion-de-personas-jovenes-y-adultas www.mep.go.cr/educatico/materia/educacion-especial www.mep.go.cr/compendio-de-ofertas-y-servicios presidencia.go.cr/comunicados/2017/02/costa-rica-se-proyecta-al-mundo-por-medio-de-la-educacion/# National Budget PDF presidencia.go.cr/comunicados/2015/04/costa-rica-inversion-en-educacion-mas-alta-de-america-latinaE2%82%A11-7-millones-por-estudiante-al-ano gobierno.cr/en-inversion-social-para-educacion-costa-rica-saca-la-mejor-nota-en-america-latina/