THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS OF SELECTED CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES: COSTA RICA, HONDURAS, AND PANAMÁ

Transcription

1 THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS OF SELECTED CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES: COSTA RICA, HONDURAS, AND PANAMÁ Kathleen T. Freeman, International Consultants of Delaware AACRAO National Conference 2012

2 COSTA RICA República de Costa Rica Population: 4,576,562 Official language: Spanish Other languages: Boruca, Bribri, Creole Literacy rate: 94.9% Number of students in the U.S.: 1,105 (1.5% increase)

3 COSTA RICA EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Ministerio de Educación Pública (Ministry of Public Education) Supervises primary and secondary schools, and parauniversities Licenses private schools Public and private schools at all levels Free and compulsory through Grade 9

4 COSTA RICA GENERAL BASIC EDUCATION Educación General Básica (General Basic Education) Begin at age 6 Three cycles (I Ciclo, II Ciclo, III Ciclo) Escuela Primaria (Primary School) 6 years/i Ciclo and II Ciclo Diploma de Conclusión de Enseñaza Primaria (Diploma of End of Primary Education) awarded at end of 2 nd cycle Colegio/Liceo (Lower Secondary School) 3 years/iii Ciclo Academic and technical options Certificado de Conclusion de Estudios de Educación General Básica (Certificate of End of General Basic Studies)

5 COSTA RICA DIVERSIFIED EDUCATION Educación Diversificada (Diversified Education) IV Ciclo Upper secondary school Offered at colegios, liceos, and night school Three streams: academic (2 years), artistic (2 years), and technical (3 years agriculture, business, industrial studies) Common classes in the first year

6 COSTA RICA DIVERSIFIED EDUCATION Diplomas awarded: Diploma de Estudios de Educación Diversificada (Diploma of Diversified Education Studies) academic and artistic streams comparable to completion of senior high school in the United States Diploma de Estudios de Educación Diversificada y Título de Tecnico Medio (Diploma of Diversified Education Studies and Professional Title of Mid-Level Technician) technical stream comparable to completion of a vocational or other specialized high school curriculum in the United States

7 COSTA RICA POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION Non-university education - Educación Superior Parauniversitaria (Parauniversity Higher Education) Established in public parauniversities 42 private parauniversities 2 3 years/60 90 credits Business, industrial and technical studies

8 COSTA RICA POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION Diploma awarded: Tecnico Superior (Higher Level Technician) comparable to completion of two to three years of university study in the United States. Credit may be awarded on a course-by-course basis

9 COSTA RICA UNIVERSITY EDUCATION 4 public universities 34 private universities (first permitted in 1997) Pregrado (pre-university) credits (2-3 years) Tecnico Superior (Higher Level Technician) / Diplomado (Diplomate) / Asociado (Associate) comparable to completion of two to three years of university study in the United States. Credit may be awarded on a course-by-course basis

10 COSTA RICA UNIVERSITY EDUCATION Grado (University level degree) Bachiller Universitario/BU (University Baccalaureate) credits May continue into graduate program if in same field Can teach at university level comparable to a bachelor s degree awarded by a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States. Licenciado/Licenciatura (Licentiate) credits after a Bachiller Universitario Usually awarded professional fields (medicine, law, etc.) comparable to a bachelor s degree awarded by a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States.

11 COSTA RICA UNIVERSITY EDUCATION Postgrado/Posgrado (Graduate level degree) Maestría/Master (Master) credits after a Bachiller Universitario Research and defense of a thesis comparable to a master s degree awarded by a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States. Doctorado/Doctor (Doctorate) credits after a Bachiller Universitario Research and defense of a dissertation comparable to an earned doctorate awarded by a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States.

12 Licenciatura vs. Título Licenciatura/Licenciado = credential Licenciado en Enfermería = Licentiate in Nursing Título = professional title Título de Enfermera = Professional Title of Nurse

13 COSTA RICA GRADING SCALE GRADE SUGGESTED U.S. EQUIVALENT A B C F

14 HONDURAS República de Honduras Population: 8,143,564 Official language: Spanish Other languages: Amerindian dialects, Garifuna Literacy rate: 80% Number of students in the U.S.: 1,349 (0.9% increase)

15 HONDURAS EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Secretaría de Educación (Secretary of Education) Free and compulsory through Grade National Reconstruction Movement restructured elementary and secondary education

16 HONDURAS BASIC & MIDDLE EDUCATION Educación Básica (Basic Education) Begin at age 6 Three cycles/3 years (Primero, Segundo, Tercero) Standardized exams after each cycle Streamed into academic and pre-vocational studies in Tercero (3 rd ) cycle Educación Media (Middle Education) Academic Stream scientific and humanistic teaching (2 years) Professional Stream teaching and professional experiences (dual system 2-3 years)

17 HONDURAS BASIC & MIDDLE EDUCATION Diplomas awarded: Bachiller en Ciencias y Letras (Baccalaureate in Sciences and Letters) academic stream comparable to completion of senior high school in the United States Bachiller Técnico en (Technical Baccalaureate in ) professional stream comparable to completion of a vocational or other specialized high school curriculum in the United States

18 HONDURAS HIGHER EDUCATION Less than 7% (100,000) go on to higher education 5 public post-secondary institutions 8 private institutions All post-secondary institutions recognized by the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras/UNAH (Autonomous University of Honduras) Dirección de Educación Superior (Office of Higher Education)

19 HONDURAS UNDERGRADUATE Título de Diplomado/ Título de Técnico (Professional Title of Diplomate/Professional Title of Technician) 3 years comparable to completion of three years of undergraduate study at a regionally-accredited college of university in the United States with credit awarded on a course-by-course basis Bachillerato Universitario (University Baccalaureate) Last awarded in years Does not lead to graduate study comparable to completion of four years of undergraduate study at a regionally-accredited college of university in the United States with credit awarded on a course-by-course basis

20 HONDURAS UNDERGRADUATE Título de Licenciado en (Professional Title of Licenciate in ) 4 years (160 credits); leads to graduate study comparable to a bachelor s degree awarded by a regionally-accredited college of university in the United States Título de Ingeniero or Título de Arquitecto (Professional Title of Engineer/Professional Title of Architect) 4-5 years; leads to graduate study comparable to a first professional degree in engineering/architecture awarded by a regionally-accredited college of university in the United States

21 HONDURAS GRADUATE EDUCATION UNAH only institution that offers graduate programs Maestría (Master) years (40 52 credits beyond licenciado) comparable to a master s degree awarded by a regionally-accredited college of university in the United States Doctorado (Doctorate) 3+ years following Licenciatura; 2 years following Maestría comparable to an earned doctorate awarded by a regionally-accredited college of university in the United States

22 HONDURAS GRADING SCALES Public Secondary and Public Higher Education GRADE SUGGESTED U.S. EQUIVALENT % Sobresaliente A 80 89% Muy Bueno B 70 79% Bueno C 0 69% Reprobado F Alternative Secondary School Scale GRADE SUGGESTED U.S. EQUIVALENT % Sobresaliente A 81 90% Muy Bueno B 61 80% Bueno C Private Higher Education Institutions PERCENTAGE GRADE POINTS SUGGESTED U.S. EQUIVALENT % A 4.0 A 86 89% B+ 3.5 B % B 3.0 B 76 79% C+ 2.5 C % C 2.0 C 66 69% D+ 1.5 D+ 0 59% F 0.0 F 0 60% Reprobado F

23 PANAMÁ República de Panamá Population: 3,460,462 Official language: Spanish Other languages: English Literacy rate: 80% Number of students in the U.S.: 1,173 (8.4% increase)

24 PANAMÁ EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Ministerio de Educación (Ministry of Education) Created in 1941 Free and compulsory ages 4 15

25 PANAMÁ PRIMARY/SECONDARY Escuela Primaria (Primary School) 6 years beginning at age 6 Educación Pre-Media (Lower Secondary School Education) 3 years Diploma de Pre-Media (Lower Secondary School Diploma) Comparable to completion of 9 years of primary and lower secondary school

26 PANAMÁ SECONDARY Educación Media (Upper Secondary School Education) 3 years Diploma de Educación Media (Upper Secondary School Diploma) / Diploma de Bachiller (Baccalaureate Diploma) Comparable to completion of senior high school in the United States

27 PANAMÁ HIGHER EDUCATION 25% go on to higher education 36 recognized universities 6 public, 30 private 80 universities operating Consejo Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universitaria de Panamá/CONEAUPA (National Council of Evaluation and University Accreditation of Panamá) established in 2006

28 PANAMÁ HIGHER EDUCATION Universidad de Panamá (University of Panamá) Founded 1935 first public university Universidad Católica Santa Maria la Antigua (Catholic University Santa Maria la Antigua) Founded 1965 first private university

29 PANAMÁ HIGHER EDUCATION Post-secondary technical studies offered at specialized secondary schools, centers and institutes Técnico (Technician) 2 years (3 years at Universidad Tecnológica) May lead to further university studies comparable to completion of 2-3 years of undergraduate study in the United States with credit awarded on a course-by-course basis

30 PANAMÁ HIGHER EDUCATION University-level studies Licenciatura en Enfermedad (Licentiate in Nursing) 3 years comparable to completion of 3 years of undergraduate study with transfer credit awarded on a course-by-course basis Licenciatura (Licentiate) 4 5 years comparable to a bachelor s degree awarded by a regionally-accredited college or university in the U.S.

31 PANAMÁ HIGHER EDUCATION Diplomado (Diplomate) 1 year Licenciatura required for admission Comparable to completion of 1 year of graduate study in the U.S. Certificado de Postgrado (Post-Graduate Certificate) 1+ years Licenciatura required for admission Comparable to completion of 1or more years of graduate study in the U.S.

32 PANAMÁ HIGHER EDUCATION Maestría (Master) 1-2 years, plus defense of a thesis Licenciatura required for admission comparable to a master s degree awarded by a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States Doctorado (Doctorate) 3+ years of study, plus defense of a dissertation Maestría required for admission comparable to an earned doctorate awarded by a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States

33 PANAMÁ GRADING SCALES Secondary Education Grade Percentage Performance A % Outstanding B 81 90% Good C 71 80% Average D 61 70% Minimum to pass F 0 60% Fail University Education Grade Percentage Performance Grade Points A % Outstanding 3 B 81 90% Good 2 C 71 80% Average 1 D 61 70% Minimum to pass 0 F 0 60% Fail 0 I P N Incomplete Pass Fail

34 RESOURCES Costa Rica Ministerio de Educación Pública (Ministry of Public Education) P.O. Box Apdo San José Consejo Superior de la Educación Pública (Council on Public Higher Education) Consejo Nacional de Enseñanza Superior Universitaria/CONSEUP (National Council for University Higher Studies) Consejo Nacional de Rectores/CONARE (National Council of Rectors) P.O. Box Apdo , Curridabat Plaza del Sol 200 Sur 25 Este San José pdf

35 RESOURCES Honduras Secretaría de Educación de Honduras (Secretary of Education of Honduras) 1 a avendia entre 2 a y 3 a calle, Comayagüela Tegucigalpa, M.D.C. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras (National Autonomous University of Honduras) Blv Suyapa Ciudad Universitaria Tegucigalpa, M.D.C. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras Dirección de Educación Superior (National Autonomous University of Honduras Office of Higher Education)

36 RESOURCES Panamá Ministerio de Educación (Ministry of Education) Apartado Postal Panamá Consejo de Rectores de Panamá (Council of Rectors of Panamá) Consejo Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universitaria de Panamá/CONEAUPA (National Council of Evaluation and University Accreditation of Panamá)

37 RESOURCES General: Central America Update, Jane E. Marcus, PIER, 1996 The Admission and Placement of Students from Central America, PIER, Caroline Aldrich-Langen and Kathleen Sellew, 1987 Sistemas Educativas Nacionales (National Education Systems), Organizacion de Estados Iberoamericanos (Organization of Spanish-American States): (in Spanish) AACRAO Electronic Database for Global Education (EDGE): The New Country Index Volumes 1 and 2, International Education Research Foundation

38 MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS! THANKS! Contact me: Special thanks to Peggy Bell Hendrickson for the credentials examples.

39 TRANSLATIONS SPANISH Aprobado Bachillerato/Bachiller Carrera Carrera corta Ciclo Colegio Especialización Fecha Licenciado(a)/Licenciatura Maestría Maestro(a) Perito Reprobado(a) Título ENGLISH Passed Baccalaureate secondary school diploma or bachelor s degree, depending on the country Major/program of study Short-term program of study Cycle College secondary school, not post-secondary Specialization Date Licentiate Master s degree Teacher Expert Failed Title

40 CREDENTIALS EXAMPLES Costa Rica: Diploma de Estudios de Educacion Diversificada

41 CREDENTIALS EXAMPLES Costa Rica: Bachiller

42 CREDENTIALS EXAMPLES Costa Rica: Licenciado

43 CREDENTIALS EXAMPLES Costa Rica: Maestría

44 CREDENTIALS EXAMPLES Costa Rica: Doctor

45 CREDENTIALS EXAMPLES Panama: Licenciatura

46 CREDENTIALS EXAMPLES Panama: Licenciatura

47 CREDENTIALS EXAMPLES Honduras: Bachiller en Ciencias y Letras

48