Salvadoran Education
Educational Sytem
Salvadoran children start school at age 5. The length of the school year is generally the same as here; however, we have three months of summer vacation. There is 1 year of preschool, 9 years of compulsory education, and 3 years of secondary education. In our experience, students can basically drop out of school anytime they want to. Unlike in the U.S., the government doesn't force them to attend school until they are 16. Families must pay for education, but the exact cost depends on the reputation of the particular school. There is a big difference in the quality of education in rural and urban areas. Many students must leave school at a young age to make money to help support their families, so the dropout rate remains above 30%. As a result of the civil war, the educational system was disrupted for long periods of time. Despite government attempts at reform, people are still feeling the effects of this disruption today.
School Day
Students have a choice of when they want to attend school. They can go from 6:30 am to 12:00 pm or 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Because the schools are much smaller than the schools here, they can't accommodate all of these students at once. Since the school day is shorter, students go home for lunch or dinner. Students have a 15 minute recess period when they can buy snacks. Teachers move from class to class, but students stay in one classroom. We are graded on a scale of 1 to 10. 10 is comparable to an A+, while a grade of 6 is passing.
Student-Teacher Relationship
The student-teacher relationship is not really different in El Salvador. Students and teachers have an open and friendly relationship with each other. It is acceptable for Salvadoran students to make eye contact with their teachers. Corporal punishment is no longer allowed in schools. Sometimes parents come to school for meetings, just like they do in the U.S.
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