Education System in El Salvador

Grade
From

Grade
To

Age
From

Age
To

Years

Primary

15

Primary

1st Cycle Primary

Primary

2nd Cycle Primary

Primary

3rd Cycle Primary

Secondary

Secondary

10

12

Secondary

Middle Education

10

11

Education

School/Level

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

Tertiary

Tertiary

Middle Education
Technical

16

18

Notes

At graduation stud

degree (equivalent

Two year Middle E

Degree (High Scho

Three year program

10

Two Year Tertiary

Program
University or other
Tertiary education
Four year tertiary
program

12

program that is op

Degree (Technical
2

Mimimum of 5 ye

Primary Education
Although not completely free (parents who can afford to pay do so) education is a high priority in El
Salvador where so many poor families are still fighting to escape poverty. To make their lot worse,
standards in rural areas are low compared to cities. Following optional kindergarten children enroll in
primary school at age 7. The 9 years of schooling that will follow are divided into 3 cycles of 3 years
each, of which the third is a transition to middle education

Secondary Education
Secondary education continues for a further 2 years following which students receive a general
bachelors degree equivalent to a high school diploma. Unless planning to go on to university they may
stay one year longer, and top-out their school education with a technical bachelor's degree (for
exampole in accountancy, computer science or secretarial services).

Vocational Education
Vocational training is provided by private colleges. This is overseen by the Salvadorian Vocational
Training Institute. It aims to grow the country's knowledge base while improving the living standards
of workers and their families.

Tertiary Education

There are 23 universities in El Salvador. of which some are

secular and some have religious affiliations. The normative study period for a bachelor's degree is 4 5 years, following which masters and doctorate courses may be followed too.
El Salvador University is the oldest tertiary institution in the country, being founded in 1841 on the
joint initiative of a general and a priest. Like so much of the country it has suffered torrid times at the
hands of rebels and dictators. Recently it joined hands with government, and funding has returned
again
1

1 http://www.classbase.com/countries/El-Salvador/Education-System

El Salvador has a 9-2 formal education structure. Primary school has an official entry age of seven
and a duration of nine grades. Secondary school consists of grades 10 - 11. Primary school is known
as educacion basica and is made up of three cycles of 3 years each. General secondary school
(educacion media) has a duration of two years, though some technical-vocational programs may last
two or three. In principle, public school is free and primary (basic) school is compulsory. The
academic year runs between February and October (UNESCO IBE, World Data on Education. 7th
Edition, 2010-2011. Revised 7/2010).
As of 2010, UIS classifies the school structure in El Salvador as having a 6-3-3 structure. Because
this is not in alignment with the nationally-defined school structure UIS indicators do not reflect the
nature of the official education system. Care should be taken when interpreting UIS data for El
Salvador.
Among other data sources, unique EPDC data collections for El Salvador include administrative data
from the Ministry of Education (2003, 2004), household survey data from SITEAL (1997 - 2009), and
indicators derived from UIS data.
For an overview of current education conditions in El Salvador, please view our education profiles.
Last updated: 10/2012

2 http://www.epdc.org/country/elsalvador

http://web.stanford.edu/~hakuta/www/archives/syllabi/E_CLAD/sfusd_cult_03/nancy/
new/educ.html

Education Statistics:
Education is free through the ninth grade (up to age 14), but
only 82% of children make it this far).
6% of Salvadoran children never attend any school.
33% of the children old enough for secondary school actually
attend.
The adult literacy is 79% for men and 73% for women.
The education system in El Salvador:
Mandatory Education:
Age of entry: 7
Age of exit: 15
Basic primary education:
Length of program: 9 years
Ages: 7-15
Award: certificate
Middle secondary education:
Length of program: 2 years
Ages: 15-17
Award: Bachillerato General
( basic course work for entry to college)
Technological secondary education:
Length of program: 3 years
Ages: 15-17
Award: Bachillerato General Vocational
(3rd year is comprised of specialized courses that help them
enter the labor market).
University level studies:
First stage: tcnico or technician, physiotherapy, maternal

and infant hygiene, clinical lab work etc.) 3-year program.

Second stage: licenciatura or bachelors degree (architect,
engineer, surgeon in dentistry etc) 5-year program.
Third stage: 2 years of education after the licenciatura and
must prepare a short thesis.
Fourth stage: Doctorado (doctor in medicine y Ph.d).
Achieved after approximately 7 years of study.
Teacher Education: Teachers are trained at Special Higher
Education Institutes. 3 years leads to the title called
profesorado. It requires a minimum of 96 credits.
Higher Education Teachers are trained at universities.
Grading System in El Salvador:
Full description: 1-10
Higher scale: 1-10
Pass/Fail: 5
Lowest: 1

Classes in session:
Classes: February to December.
Long vacation: December 15 to January 31.
Education of Salvadorans in the US:
In the 1970s and 1980s many Salvadoran parents did not send
their students to U.S. public schools for fear of being detected
and deported (for families who did not have proper
documentation to be in this country).
Immigration status for Salvadoran students is varied: some
are residents, others have work permits, others were born
here, but raised in El Salvador while several have yet to
acquire their proper documentation to be in this country.
In 1982 the Supreme Court made a decision establishing that
children of undocumented people were entitled to an

education.
AB 540 (2001) of California permits students who do not
have proper paperwork to be in this country, but who have
student in a U.S. high school for three years can attend the
University at the same cost to any other resident in California.
The Dream Act, which has not yet been passed, would allow
students to get legal status to live in this country.

In 1930, 72% of Salvadorans over 10 years of age were illiterate; by the year 2000, the
figure had been reduced to about 21.3% (males, 18.4%; females, 23.9%). As of
1999, public expenditure on education was estimated at 2.5% of GDP. Primary
education is free and compulsory through elementary school, and the public school
systemis government controlled. Enforcement of primary-school attendance is difficult,
however, and truancy is high in rural areas. Primary education lasts for nine years,
followed by three years of secondary education, on completion of which students can
obtain the "Bachillerato," which is equivalent to a high school diploma.
The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level was 28 to 1 in 1995. In 1997 there were
1,191,052 students enrolled in primary schools. In the same year, secondary schools had
152,474 students and approximately 9,300 teachers. As of 1999, an estimated 81% of
primary-school-age children were enrolled in school.
In 2000, an institutional reform process for education has been initiated under a Basic
Education Modernization Project, and the government is seeking international funding
support for improvements in the quality and coverage of secondary education.
Twelve private and three public universities offer higher education. In 1996, 112,266
students were enrolled and 5,919 teachers taught at the universities and other higherlevel institutions. The University of El Salvador in San Salvador, authorized in 1841 and
with enrollments averaging 30,000, was a base for antigovernment agitation during the
1970s. The university was stormed and ransacked by government troops on 26
June 1980; at least 50 students and the rector were killed, and the university did not
reopen for several years.

Read more: http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/El-SalvadorEDUCATION.html#ixzz3WWMeATql

The educational system begins with the preschool or "kindergarten," most of

which are located in cities rather than rural areas. The children, ranging in age
from five to six years old, receive instruction for two years, three hours per
day, and five days per week. Most of these schools are under government
supervision, although there are private preschools. The main objectives are to
prepare the children for entry into elementary school, to inculcate in them
good work habits, and to develop oral and listening comprehension skills.
The school calendar runs from February to the end of October, five hours per
day, Monday through Friday. Graduation takes place on November 5th.
Elementary education begins at the age of seven and last for nine years. From
the seventh grade, students receive classes in English as a second language as
a part of the curriculum; it remains a requirement throughout the rest of their
elementary school years. Curriculum stresses the teaching of formal Spanish
grammar as well the fundamentals of science and mathematics, and six hours
are devoted to sports and cultural activities.
Most primary schools are not coeducational. However, the majority of classes
in grades seven to nine are mixed. Both men and women are teachers at this
level. Student-teacher ratios are high in public schools. With an insufficient
number of teachers, classrooms are over-crowded. In 1993, there were 3,961
primary schools with an enrollment of 1,042,256 primary students. In order to
best utilize the buildings, there are two groups of students:one group attends
in the morning from 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.; the other attends from 1:00-5:00
p.m. Some schools have adult evening classes from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Among
school-age children, the total student enrollment in 1980 was 65 percent; in
1993, 70 percent; and by 1995 it had risen to 79 percent in public primary
schools.
Only about 8 percent of the country's total enrollment in middle secondary
education was rural children; the majority of the illiterate population reside in
rural areas. The high degree of rural illiteracy reflects several factors, at the
most basic level, the number of teachers and schools provided for rural areas.
In the 1980s, only 15 percent of the nation's teachers served in rural areas,
although these areas accounted for 64 percent of the primary schools. Of the
primary schools available to rural children, approximately 70 percent offered
education only below grade four or five. By contrast, 90 percent of the urban
primary schools offered grade five and above.

There was a high attrition rate in school attendance in rural areas as students
left school to earn wages or work at home. Although school attendance
generally began at about the age of eight or nine, approximately 70 percent of
all male workers began employment before the age of fifteen, many by age ten
or earlier, thus permitting only one or two years of schooling. Many girls also
dropped out of school at an early age in order to assume domestic
responsibilities, such as caring for younger siblings, working in the fields, or
tending animals. Therefore, only 20 percent of the rural school-age children
reached grade six, and only a few percent reached grade nine. Efforts to
improve this situation in the rural agricultural areas were somewhat
discouraging, in part because of the political tension during the Civil War and
post-war period. In some situations, teachers, mainly women, faced threats if
they supported political change. Many rural landowners seemed to prefer an
uneducated rural population on the grounds that better-educated workers
would expect better wages and be more likely to organize and lobby the
government for reform, particularly land reform.
In the 1960s, Educational Reform integrated the middle school into
elementary education. Aimed at preparing students for the secondary level,
the curriculum, different from grades seven to nine, consists of history,
geography, mathematics or algebra, science, English, physics, computer
programming (available only at private schools), sports and cultural activities.
Students who pass gain the primary school certificate and are allowed to
progress to secondary educational institutions.

3 http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/423/El-Salvador-PREPRIMARY-PRIMARYEDUCATION.html

Secondary education, for children from the age of sixteen, lasts for three years.
Of children in the relevant age group, only 21 percent were enrolled in
secondary schools in 1996. The curriculum at the secondary level was
developed by the government to be uniform throughout the country. The
provision of the secondary level suffers from the same rural-urban dichotomy
as the public school system. Only a small percentage of students reach grade
twelve and receive their bachillerato (equivalent to a high school diploma).
Secondary-level enrollment among the rural population is about 8 percent of
the country's total enrollment in secondary education; in grades ten through
twelve it drops to about 1 percent. Although both men and women teach at this
level, the majority are men. The school year runs from February through
November. In general, the curriculum prepares students for either
employment or further study. At the secondary level there are different
programs: academic or general, technical, pedagogical, and commercial.

Academic Secondary Study: The academic secondary study has two

programs, physics/mathematics and chemistry/biology. All students are
expected to take the same courses in the first year and carry about 30
instructional hours. In the second year, students start taking different courses
according to their program. For example, the science/mathematics program
students would take the same classes as other students, and later add specialty
classes such as vocational physics/mathematics, and, for science students, the
instructional classes include vocational chemistry and advanced biology. In
the third year, the number of courses is reduced, but the vocational classes are
increased. For example, seventeen hours per week are dedicated to the
specialty. Also, all students in the third year take the following common
courses: letters, demography, English, and physics/mathematics. After
completion of the three-year cycle of secondary education, students sit an
examination administered by the government; those who pass are awarded a
high school certificate. These programs are offered specially in private schools
or Catholic colleges for upper class students. Most of the students continue to
the university level.

Commercial Secondary Study: This program consists of three years of

instruction. The curriculum at this level is vocational and is aimed at

preparing students for employment or further vocational training programs.

The program focuses on three areas of study: economics, business
administration, and accounting. The certificate is earned after three years
upon passing the final examination. The students either enter the labor
market or a postsecondary institution. The curriculum of the commercial
secondary studies is computer science, economics, accounting, typing and
shorthand, among others. The total instruction hours per week are 30.

Technical Secondary Study: Technical secondary study is only offered to

low income students at the National Institutes. There are three programs:
general mechanics, general electrics, and auto mechanic. All these programs
are based on three years of attendance, from Monday to Friday, 40 hours per
week. In the first year, all students are expected to take the same courses.
There are no electives until the second year, when each program introduces
special courses according to each specialty. After completing the three years
cycle of secondary education, the students take the government-administered
examination.
Pedagogic Secondary Study: This program is offered for students who
want to be preschool or elementary teachers. If they want to specialize in
secondary education they need to attend the university level. The curriculum
in this program is focused on pedagogy, children's literature, psychology,
sociology, philosophy, methodology, and teaching techniques. After the
second year, students spend a great of deal of time working on the practical,
supervised by teachers. At the end of the third year, students take two
examinations, on science and pedagogical material, administered by the
government. Those who pass are awarded the diploma of education. Those
who fail may take the examinations again.

Transitional Education: The aim of the Technological Institute is to make

the transition from study to work simple and to make education relevant to
the social and economic needs of the country. It also targets students who
cannot afford tuition at the university level. Study at this institute, located in
Santa Tecla, lasts for two years, 40 hours per week. The program offers

technical industry, civil engineering, architecture, mechanics, and decoration

courses.
Secondary education, for children from the age of sixteen, lasts for three years.
Of children in the relevant age group, only 21 percent were enrolled in
secondary schools in 1996. The curriculum at the secondary level was
developed by the government to be uniform throughout the country. The
provision of the secondary level suffers from the same rural-urban dichotomy
as the public school system. Only a small percentage of students reach grade
twelve and receive their bachillerato (equivalent to a high school diploma).
Secondary-level enrollment among the rural population is about 8 percent of
the country's total enrollment in secondary education; in grades ten through
twelve it drops to about 1 percent. Although both men and women teach at this
level, the majority are men. The school year runs from February through
November. In general, the curriculum prepares students for either
employment or further study. At the secondary level there are different
programs: academic or general, technical, pedagogical, and commercial.

Academic Secondary Study: The academic secondary study has two

programs, physics/mathematics and chemistry/biology. All students are
expected to take the same courses in the first year and carry about 30
instructional hours. In the second year, students start taking different courses
according to their program. For example, the science/mathematics program
students would take the same classes as other students, and later add specialty
classes such as vocational physics/mathematics, and, for science students, the
instructional classes include vocational chemistry and advanced biology. In
the third year, the number of courses is reduced, but the vocational classes are
increased. For example, seventeen hours per week are dedicated to the
specialty. Also, all students in the third year take the following common
courses: letters, demography, English, and physics/mathematics. After
completion of the three-year cycle of secondary education, students sit an
examination administered by the government; those who pass are awarded a
high school certificate. These programs are offered specially in private schools
or Catholic colleges for upper class students. Most of the students continue to
the university level.

Commercial Secondary Study: This program consists of three years of

instruction. The curriculum at this level is vocational and is aimed at
preparing students for employment or further vocational training programs.
The program focuses on three areas of study: economics, business
administration, and accounting. The certificate is earned after three years
upon passing the final examination. The students either enter the labor
market or a postsecondary institution. The curriculum of the commercial
secondary studies is computer science, economics, accounting, typing and
shorthand, among others. The total instruction hours per week are 30.

Technical Secondary Study: Technical secondary study is only offered to

low income students at the National Institutes. There are three programs:
general mechanics, general electrics, and auto mechanic. All these programs
are based on three years of attendance, from Monday to Friday, 40 hours per
week. In the first year, all students are expected to take the same courses.
There are no electives until the second year, when each program introduces
special courses according to each specialty. After completing the three years
cycle of secondary education, the students take the government-administered
examination.
Pedagogic Secondary Study: This program is offered for students who
want to be preschool or elementary teachers. If they want to specialize in
secondary education they need to attend the university level. The curriculum
in this program is focused on pedagogy, children's literature, psychology,
sociology, philosophy, methodology, and teaching techniques. After the
second year, students spend a great of deal of time working on the practical,
supervised by teachers. At the end of the third year, students take two
examinations, on science and pedagogical material, administered by the
government. Those who pass are awarded the diploma of education. Those
who fail may take the examinations again.

Transitional Education: The aim of the Technological Institute is to make

the transition from study to work simple and to make education relevant to
the social and economic needs of the country. It also targets students who

cannot afford tuition at the university level. Study at this institute, located in
Santa Tecla, lasts for two years, 40 hours per week. The program offers
technical industry, civil engineering, architecture, mechanics, and decoration
courses.4
There are three public and twelve private universities. The most important
universities are the University of El Salvador authorized in 1841 and The
Central America University (UCA) in San Salvador. After the war, the
participation of women became very significant. In 1993, some 77,369
students were enrolled at universities and other higher-level institutions;
approximately 51 percent of these students were female. Attaining a university
education is still the key to status in Salvadoran society. For students from
low-income families, the University of El Salvador, with its enrollment
averaging 30,000 students, offers them the best opportunity. The enrollment
age is between 19 and 23. The National University requires an admission
examination, and offers all fields of study; the Central America University
specializes in the humanities. Between 1950 and 1980, the country's urban
population grew from 18 percent to 44 percent of the total, an average increase
by regional standards; that of the city of San Salvador increased from 116,000
to 700,000 (this, too, by no means exceptional in Central America). Both men
and women teach at this level, and there is strong competition between their
numbers. The school year is divided in two semesters (circles) and runs from
January to December. After completing the requirement for their specialty,
students write and defend a dissertation. Successful completion enables them
to earn the Licenciatura (Master's degree).5

4 http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/424/El-Salvador-SECONDARYEDUCATION.html
5 http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/425/El-Salvador-HIGHEREDUCATION.html