Lack of interest – Quality of education
The National Household Survey of 2019 of the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) revealed that the main cause for Costa Ricans not to attend formal education is the lack of interest[1].
Also, the VII Report on the State of Education asserts that “the country’s commitment, to universalize secondary school with a generalized improvement of the quality of educational services, has not only not been achieved, but it is also progressing slowly”[2].
Only 7% of the country’s schools offer the full curriculum to students[3]. Furthermore, in rural areas, it is hard to fill teaching positions because they refuse to go there. Those factors have a detrimental effect on the quality of education, and therefore on the motivation of young people to attend classes. Added to this, the State of the Education 2019 Report also indicates that, especially in places with high incidence of drugs and criminal violence, youngsters find an easy and attractive ‘alternative’ to studying.
[1] https://www.larepublica.net/noticia/falta-de-interes-la-causa-que-mas-aleja-a-los-ticos-de-las-aulas?fbclid=IwAR1ar44AynyQz8MXgVIrm-fTiVPEmSrCcYTjSDtD-C91W7iiKmhWgYEUNk8
[2] https://estadonacion.or.cr/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Estado-Educacio%CC%81n-RESUMEN-2019-WEB.pdf, p 16.
[3] https://semanariouniversidad.com/pais/93-de-las-escuelas-no-tienen-curriculo-completo/
Bullying
Bullying or harassment at school has become a real scourge and seriously affects the mental health of many young people and, in the worst cases, leads to suicide.
Unfortunately, Costa Rica is not the exception – quite the contrary. In a ranking issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), Costa Rica ranks 11th among countries with the most bullying worldwide, and second in Latin America.
The same organization also indicates that 82% of kids with a disability are harassed at school, and that 4 out of 5 cases are not reported to teachers. The numbers are mind-boggling. It is estimated that 60% of young people in the country suffer from bullying[1].
[1] https://www.nacion.com/el-pais/educacion/60-de-estudiantes-del-pais-han-sido-victimas-del/M6NRIEP6KRHYFJR6KEIJFWFEKA/story/
What do we do?
• Sports and cultural scholarships
We give some young people the opportunity to practice a sport or art that motivates them a lot, provided that they also make an effort in school activities.
• Motivating activities directed to young people from public schools
Contest “Being a student at home”
Photo tour “516 years in one day”
Drawing contest “What motivates me to study” and mural in Limón
Drawing contest “my favorite reading” and mural in Tres Ríos (ongoing)
• Bullying
In our 2019 congress we invited the College of Professionals in Psychology of Costa Rica to give a presentation on bullying and the severe effects it has on young people. The Ministry of Public Education clarified the protocol that schools have against this scourge.