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Uruguay EDUCATION
Uruguay had the highest literacy rate in Latin America,
at 96
percent in 1985. There was no appreciable difference in
literacy
rates between males and females, but there were
discrepancies
between urban and rural rates (rural rates being
demonstrably
lower). Uruguay's system of universal, free, and secular
education required a total of nine years of compulsory
school
attendance, from ages six to fourteen. The proportion of
children
of primary school age enrolled in school had long been
virtually
100 percent. Furthermore, from 1965 to 1985 the proportion
of
children of secondary school age enrolled in some form of
secondary school grew from 44 to 70 percent, also the
highest
rate in Latin America. The postsecondary education
enrollment
rate was about 20 percent. Coeducation was the norm, and
females
and males attended school in near-equal numbers at all
levels. As
is typical of any country, however, rates of schooling
were
higher in urban areas than in rural areas.
The quality of education in Uruguay was rated as high.
Teaching was a socially respected profession and one that
paid
relatively well. Most teachers, trained in teachers'
training
colleges, were deemed well qualified. The main problem
confronting the education system was the inadequacy of
facilities, instructional materials, and teachers' aides.
Rural
areas often suffered from woefully insufficient facilities
and
supplies. Urban schools often were seriously overcrowded
and were
forced to resort to holding classes in multiple shifts. In
addition, dropout and repetition rates, although moderate
by
Latin American standards, were still considered high.
Data as of December 1990
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