Education System in Guatemala
Guatemala is situated in Central America. It experiences a diversified climate because of different elevations, topography and geography of different regions. Thus, one can find from hot, humid tropical lowlands to cold dry peaks in Guatemala.
In terms of the Education System, Guatemala has a number of Educational Institutes. There are many schools and colleges that offer a variety of subjects to the students. Furthermore, the schools are free but with the cost of books, uniforms and other resources, many poor families cannot afford them. Moreover, many organizations are working to increase the literacy rate in the country.
Education in Guatemala is free and compulsory for six years or between the ages of 7 and 14. In Guatemala, there are three different types of schools. You can either attend a public (state-funded) school, a private (privately-funded) school, or a cooperative school (which are funded by the Ministry of Education, municipal government, and members of the local community.
Education in Guatemala is distributed over five levels i.e. primary school, secondary school and tertiary education, depending on the level of technical training. The first 3 years of secondary education known as 'basico' are similar to junior high school. The final 3 years of school education at secondary school called 'diversificado' are more specialized. Vocational secondary education is also available. The oldest university in Guatemala (and the only state university) is the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. This is only public funded university in the country. Other universities and institutes of higher education are privately funded.