Education in Guatemala
History of Guatemalan Education
From 1954, when President Jacobo Arbenz was overthrown and civil war began, until the signing of the Peace Accords in 1996, formal, rural education practically disappeared. People were displaced, disappearances were common, and massacres became the norm for Mayan communities. Education was not a priority for 42 years.
The Peace Accords stressed the need for the reintegration of indigenous populations and eradication of social inequalities through education reforms and aggressive literacy campaigns. However, education for rural Mayan communities remains unattainable for most citizens. The educational system provided by the Guatemalan government struggled to find monetary resources for schools, had difficulty finding trained and effective teachers, and was unable to provide schooling at a cost which was affordable for local families.
In 2003, teachers demanded 33 improvements for education from the Guatemalan Ministry of Education. Educators went on strike and refused to teach classes until requirements were met, and teachers marched down the Pan American Highway halting traffic for days. The standoff was resolved when the Ministry of Education agreed to various improvements.
In 2005, the Ministry of Education, decided to decentralize the educational system. In Totonicapán, individual schools were to become responsible for all aspects of education within the community. This change assumed that if local citizens are financially and personally invested in the formation of curriculum and overall educational quality of education for their community, the level of achievement and commitment to education in local communities will rise. However, for decentralization to be effective, communities must have strong educational leaders in the community, transparency in decision making, a commitment to achieving results, and consistent, adequate funding for educational expenses. (John Edwards, Education and Poverty in Guatemala, 2002, Tulane University)
The effects of the decentralization policy reached Totonicapán in November of 2005. The community and school personnel were concerned with the process for several reasons. First, most citizens who send their children to Totonicapán schools are farmers who earn less than $3.00 per day. Before decentralization, families were fortunate to send one or two children to school each year as they paid approximately $50.00 in school tuition per child each school year. How is the Totonicapán community to afford expenses such as school maintenance, teacher salaries, desks and books, on top of student tuition? Second, qualified teachers are scarce and local communities can no longer count on the government to assign teachers to positions which require a long commute. Teachers will be less willing to work in rural Mayan schools and will instead choose to work in more lucrative, city locations. Local community leaders and the school principals in Totonicapán are concerned that achievement levels will substantially decrease as a result of decentralization.
Contemporary Guatemalan Education
The public education system in Guatemala consists of six years of primary education, three years of middle school, and three years of high school. Many rural students like those in Totonicapán walk a substantial distance to a primary school, and travel a longer distance to attend middle school and high school. Middle school consists of three years covering a wide variety of subjects. Students specialize in a vocation or area of study in High School. Standardized testing for students is nonexistent. The highest level of education is the college level, although most students choose to work after 6th grade and discontinue formal education.