quick facts
- Uruguay's rate of education almost equals that of developed countries.
- Almost 100% of Uruguayan children attend school.
- 360,695 children attend public schools, which represents 81% of total national enrollment.
- The literacy rate in Uruguay is 98%.
- The academic year is from March until December.
- The average years of adult schooling is 7.6.
- The percentage of GDP spent in the system of education in Uruguay is 2.6%.
- Public education is free for children aged 6-14.
- Instruction is in Spanish, although students may be taught in English and Portuguese at the secondary level.
- The student-to-teacher ratio for primary school was at about 21:1 in 2003; the ratio for secondary school was about 18:1.
- The average teacher salary in the Montevideo School District is $42,752.
School structure
Preschool - ages 4-5; not mandatory
Primary - ages 6-12; mandatory
Secondary (First cycle - basic education) - ages 13-15; mandatory
Secondary (Second cycle - university preparation) - ages 16-18; not mandatory
Secondary (Second cycle - technical and vocational) - ages 16-18; not mandatory
Tertiary - ages 19-22, not mandatory
Primary - ages 6-12; mandatory
Secondary (First cycle - basic education) - ages 13-15; mandatory
Secondary (Second cycle - university preparation) - ages 16-18; not mandatory
Secondary (Second cycle - technical and vocational) - ages 16-18; not mandatory
Tertiary - ages 19-22, not mandatory
Quality of education
The quality of education in Uruguay is rated as high. Teachers are socially respected and paid relatively well. Most teachers, who are trained in teachers' training colleges, are deemed well-qualified. The main problem that affects the education system in Uruguay is the inadequacy of facilities, instructional materials, and teachers' aides. Rural areas especially suffer from insufficient facilities and supplies. Urban schools often are overcrowded and are forced to hold classes in multiple shifts.
higher education
Uruguay has only one public university: Universidad de la República (1849). It also has four private universities: Universidad Católica del Uruguay, Universidad ORT del Uruguay, Universidad de la Empresa, and Universidad de Montevideo. Despite the free tuition to the Universidad de la República, access to a university education tends to be limited to children of middle and upper-income families because of the need to supplement the family income by working, as well as the expense of books and other fees. Furthermore, the fact that the only public university is in Montevideo severely limits the ability of those in the interior parts of Uruguay to attend a university unless their families are relatively wealthy. In 1988, about 69% of university students were from Montevideo.
educational reforms
1877 - Law of Common Education was passed, creating a centralized, nationwide system of education. A rigid separation into three branches of education formed: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Teacher training for grade school teachers was connected to the primary school system. The National Institute of Technical Educaiton grew up as an extension of the secondary school system.
By the late 1950s - All three branches of the education system established administrative autonomy, including complete control over their budgets. The Organic University Law of 1958 provided that the governing bodies of the University of the Republic would be elected by the members of the faculty, alumni, and students.
By the late 1960s - Uruguayan secondary schools and the various faculties of the University of the Republic had become extremely politicized. Student sit-ins, demonstrations, and even riots happened often. School sessions were frequently disrupted.
After 1973 - The authorities vowed to put an end to this situation, and political purges in the education system spread nationwide. Some teachers were able to find work in private schools, but others either left the profession or emigrated. Entire branches of the university, such as the Institute of Social Sciences, were closed for a time. Academic standards suffered across the board as some of the best teachers and professors were fired and replaced by people with only mediocre qualifications.
1973 - Major changes were made in the education system. The National Council for Education was set up to manage all three branches of education under the supervision of the executive branch of government. At the same time, the compulsory length of schooling was raised from six to nine years. The secondary curriculum was completely reorganized, as was the pattern of teacher training. Finally, the Instituto Normal de Enseñanza (INET) saw its status and budget upgraded. However, overall spending on education fell from 12.2 percent of the central government budget in 1974 to 7.3 percent in 1982.
1968-1982 - Enrollments in primary education (both state and private) fell 6 percent. Secondary school enrollments grew 6 percent; however, about half the secondary school students in Montevideo (and 70 percent in the interior) dropped out before receiving any certification. Over the same period, there was a boom in technical schools; enrollments increased 66 percent in the interior and 27 percent in Montevideo. The major cause of this increase was the new ciclo básico (basic cycle), which added three years of compulsory secondary education to the six years of compulsory primary schooling. However, the dropout rate remained about 50 percent. Enrollments in the University of the Republic doubled from 1968 to 1982, but the proportion of students graduating fell to just 8 percent.
1984 - As something of a parting shot, Uruguay's military government formally granted university status to a Catholic college that had been expanding over the previous decade. This ended the University of the Republic's monopoly, which had lasted since its foundation in 1849. The new Catholic University of Uruguay remained extremely small, however, compared with its rival.
Recent years - Uruguay, under the initiative of President Tabaré Vázquez, approved and implemented the program called the Ceibal Project, which is currently running successfully. The program is providing all primary school children with their own ceibalita or laptop. In 2010, with the new government of José Mujica Cordano, the program will continue, and is planned to be extended to cover all secondary children as well. The laptops were developed by a non-governmental organization, One Laptop Per Child.
By the late 1950s - All three branches of the education system established administrative autonomy, including complete control over their budgets. The Organic University Law of 1958 provided that the governing bodies of the University of the Republic would be elected by the members of the faculty, alumni, and students.
By the late 1960s - Uruguayan secondary schools and the various faculties of the University of the Republic had become extremely politicized. Student sit-ins, demonstrations, and even riots happened often. School sessions were frequently disrupted.
After 1973 - The authorities vowed to put an end to this situation, and political purges in the education system spread nationwide. Some teachers were able to find work in private schools, but others either left the profession or emigrated. Entire branches of the university, such as the Institute of Social Sciences, were closed for a time. Academic standards suffered across the board as some of the best teachers and professors were fired and replaced by people with only mediocre qualifications.
1973 - Major changes were made in the education system. The National Council for Education was set up to manage all three branches of education under the supervision of the executive branch of government. At the same time, the compulsory length of schooling was raised from six to nine years. The secondary curriculum was completely reorganized, as was the pattern of teacher training. Finally, the Instituto Normal de Enseñanza (INET) saw its status and budget upgraded. However, overall spending on education fell from 12.2 percent of the central government budget in 1974 to 7.3 percent in 1982.
1968-1982 - Enrollments in primary education (both state and private) fell 6 percent. Secondary school enrollments grew 6 percent; however, about half the secondary school students in Montevideo (and 70 percent in the interior) dropped out before receiving any certification. Over the same period, there was a boom in technical schools; enrollments increased 66 percent in the interior and 27 percent in Montevideo. The major cause of this increase was the new ciclo básico (basic cycle), which added three years of compulsory secondary education to the six years of compulsory primary schooling. However, the dropout rate remained about 50 percent. Enrollments in the University of the Republic doubled from 1968 to 1982, but the proportion of students graduating fell to just 8 percent.
1984 - As something of a parting shot, Uruguay's military government formally granted university status to a Catholic college that had been expanding over the previous decade. This ended the University of the Republic's monopoly, which had lasted since its foundation in 1849. The new Catholic University of Uruguay remained extremely small, however, compared with its rival.
Recent years - Uruguay, under the initiative of President Tabaré Vázquez, approved and implemented the program called the Ceibal Project, which is currently running successfully. The program is providing all primary school children with their own ceibalita or laptop. In 2010, with the new government of José Mujica Cordano, the program will continue, and is planned to be extended to cover all secondary children as well. The laptops were developed by a non-governmental organization, One Laptop Per Child.