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Education in Guatemala

Education public and privatein Guatemala, is paid for by individual families. The only difference between public and private education is the level of cost.  The cost for a public education is still prohibitively high for many of Guatemala's poor:

• Most schools charge an enrollment fee, monthly tuition fees, require full head-to-toe uniforms, and do not provide any textbooks and/or school supplies without also charging.
• Public education costs less, but frequently is still too expensive for the average family of 5-6 people.
• The average Guatemalan school day is from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm or five (5) hours (with a 1/2 hour recess.)
• In rural areas, some grade schools with between 100 and 200 students are covered by one (1) teacher.
• Absenteeism among teachers can be as often as two (2) to three (3) times a week.
• Infrastructure such as roads and school buildings is extremely deficient due to the civil war (which lasted 36 years and ended in 1996.)

• LACES charges NO enrollment fee or monthly tuition fees.
• LACES does not require full head-to-toe uniforms.
• LACES provides all textbooks and 95% of school supplies without charge to the students.
• The LACES school day is from 8:00 am to 2:45 pm or (6) ¾ hours (with a 2, 1/2 hour recesses.) And since school is in session the entire day a simple breakfast and a full complete hot lunch are provided to the students and staff free of charge.
• LACES class size ranges from 20-25 students in grade school and 30-35 in middle school.
• For six (6) months of the year we partner with the local teaching high school and use student teachers in Kindergarten through 6th grade.
• Infrastructure such as roads and school buildings is extremely deficient due to the civil war (which lasted 36 years and ended in 1996.) That is why LACES compliments its focus on education with projects that improve community school buildings. This has been done in the Patzun area and in El Rodeo.