The Institute of Research in Economic Sciences (IICE) of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) presented a study which analyzes the country’s situation in education, poverty and inequality.
The publication compiled by researchers Leonardo Sánchez and Rafael Arias presents a guide for the elaboration of a public policy in education, as well as to reduce the existent poverty and inequality.
According to Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, Vice Minister of Institutional Planning of the Ministry of Public Education (MEP), the research represents a substantial contribution to continue strengthening the education system.
Isabel Román, research coordinator of the State of Education Program, agrees that access and educational equity are priority issues that must be discussed.
One of the main conclusions of the research is that both university and secondary education have a positive impact on poverty reduction, which is why they recommend achieving the universality of secondary education.
According to the results of the study, individuals who complete secondary education reduce the probability of being in poverty by approximately 5.7 percentage points.
As academic colleges move away from the nearest urban center, there is an increase in the probability of dropping out, that is, for each kilometer of distance from the school, there is a 2.6-fold increase in one point percentage dropout.
Another recommendation is that teachers must comply with the characteristics of experience, high academic level and quality training, since the role they play is determinant for the academic achievement of the students.
The research also warns that it is necessary to continue working on the quality of the infrastructure of schools, since having a pleasant environment positively influences the learning and training of students.