Whip Care

 Unending political upheavals and instability greatly interfered with the development of a good education system throughout the history of Bolivia. Back in the colonial days, education was reserved for a few clergy whose main role thereafter was to educate the kids of the elite families in the region. Very little effort, if any, was made to educate Bolivians beyond the need to convert them. Even so, joy introduced a number of ambitious declarations and orders calling for universal, mandatory primary education and a viable public school system; however, it was better said than done as very little to show off was accomplished.

In 1900, institutions of learning existed, but were only reserved for the urban elites. There were no agricultural or vocational institutes in the country, no wonder only 17% of the entire adult population could be termed as literate. During the wake of 1947, some little noticeable changes occurred in the Education system in Bolivia. A law enacted in 1947 that called for an end to illiteracy attracted focus on the government’s partial capacity for action in the region. The law required that every literate Bolivian take the responsibility to teach at least one other Bolivian to write and more importantly read. They were allowed to levy funds for adult education.

The 1956 legislation laid a foundation for the public education system in Bolivia, which came in full force in the late 80s. The Bolivian government established a 6-4-2 learning cycle which stood for 6 years in primary, 4 years in intermediate, and 2 years in secondary school leading to a baccalaureate degree. 1969 and 1973 laws however revised the curricula and put in place a 5-year primary cycle which was compulsory, well at least theoretically, between ages 7-14. This was followed by 3 years spent in the intermediate school and then 4 years of secondary education.

In the 4 years spent in secondary school, the first 2 years consisted of an integrated program mandatory for all students, and then a 2 year program that allowed students to specialize in a technical or humanity field. As mentioned, these courses led to a baccalaureate degree, which was a requirement for getting into the university.

As for higher education in Bolivia, there was only the University of Bolivia and several other private and public institutes. The University of Bolivia was the only postsecondary institution that was mandated to award degrees upon successful completion and graduation.