Education in Costa Rica

Second graders working in Centro Educativo Linda Vista de Santa Rosa, Guanacaste.

Education in Costa Rica is divided in 3 cycles: pre-education (before age 7), primary education (from 6-7 to 12-13), and secondary school (from 12-13 to 17-18), which leads to higher education. School year starts between the second and third week of February, stops at the last week of June, it continues again between the third and fourth week of July and finishes between the last week of November (private kindergartens, schools and high schools) and the second week of December (public kindergartens, schools and high schools). Preschool and basic education are free to the public.^[1] Elementary and secondary school are both divided in two cycles.^[2] Since 1869, education is free and compulsory (article 78 of the constitution).

Costa Rica's education system is ranked 54th in the "Global Competitiveness Report 2013–14", and is described as of "high quality".^[3] The literacy rate in Costa Rica is 97.9%.^[4] It is 2 points over the average for Latin American and Caribbean countries.^[5]

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI)^[6] finds that Costa Rica is fulfilling only 87.4% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to education based on the country's level of income.^[7] HRMI breaks down the right to education by looking at the rights to both primary education and secondary education. While taking into consideration Costa Rica's income level, the nation is achieving 91.9% of what should be possible based on its resources (income) for primary education but only 82.9% for secondary education.^[8]