LIMA, Peru – While education disparities are common in many countries, in Peru, these significant differences in schooling quality can be observed within a single city.
Home to 11 million residents, Lima has hundreds of schools. However, the quality of education varies greatly depending on a school’s location. For example, the Air Force School of Peru, located in the southern part of the city, offers its students access to extracurricular activities, modern computers, and an outdoor turf field.
Yet, just 13 miles northwest at the José María Arguedas Altamirano school, students have a very different experience. With no chemistry laboratory, twenty-year-old computers, and a crumbling basketball court, students aren’t set up for success in the same way.
“We didn’t learn chemistry, or physics, and missed just basic things,” said Fabiana Pastor, a former student at Mariano Melgar, another public school located in the outskirts of Lima. “We didn’t even have computers in the public school, so we didn’t know how to use Excel, or Word, which I think are really important.”
The Ministry of Education of Peru oversees public schools nationwide, but it faces many challenges.
“Public resources for the different sectors in the country are sometimes scarce – they are limited,” said Manuel Castillo, the Chief of Staff for Advisors at the Ministry of Education. “This is because there are a range of needs to be addressed throughout the country. Not only in terms of education but also in other areas such as water and sanitation, agriculture, commerce, tourism—there are a number of needs that must be addressed.”
While principals and administrators are striving to support their students, many believe there is still much work to be done.
“We try as much as possible to have some listening places for our students,” said Yanela Huayla, the principal of the José María school. “We work on strengthening and providing socio-emotional support to students. We do what we can. But it is not enough. We need much more.”