Education: Ecuador

Education systems vary greatly from country to country, and sometimes from community to community within the same country.

In Ecuador, the school year differs depending upon which area your child is in. This takes into account the times of year when extreme weather is expected. The school year in Guayaquil starts in May and ends in February. In Quito the school year starts in September and ends in June.

If you are going to request information on fees to send an SNG, it is recommended to do so in late February or early March for Guayaquil and in late June or early July for Quito. CI requests that tuition and funds be paid the month before school starts, so they have time to transfer the funds and and the staff has time to contact the family and get everything in place for the child to be enrolled. This is especially important if the child has never attended school before, has been out of school for a year or more, or is starting a new educational chapter (college, vocational, etc.).

Children in Ecuador begin school at age six, and attendance is compulsory until age fourteen. Compulsory years are free at public schools, however families often face the costs of school supplies, transportation and meal fees, and uniforms. Primary school consists of grades one through six. Secondary school consists of grades seven through nine (free and compulsory) and ten through twelve. Students who complete both phases of secondary education may go on to study at a college or university.

Pre-primary school may be available from ages two to six, and is not compulsory.

Universities in Ecuador include the Central University of Ecuador (website in Spanish) and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Quito and Guayaquil also each have a Catholic university. Quito's Catholic university is the National Polytechnical School (website initially in Spanish, but you can select English from a drop-down menu near the top of the page), which specializes in engineering and industrial science. Naval and petroleum engineering is taught at the Polytechnical School of Littoral, which is Guayaquil's Catholic university. Guayaquil also has the Universidad Ecotec (site in Spanish).

CI Sponsor Services Rep Debbie Spring shares,

The school system in Ecuador is really good compared to other countries where we work. In fact, the education is free - even college!  Of course, there are uniforms, books, transportation and supplies, etc. that are needed, so CI helps with some of that and the families cover the rest.

Although the primary school enrollment rate in Ecuador exceeds 95%, it is estimated that 25% of children will have dropped out by the end of the fifth grade. There are large numbers of children who do not remain in school beyond the age of fifteen, particularly in rural areas where the people are poor and it is more important to find work to help to support the family.