Republic of El Salvador

EDUCO Case Profile

The “I Educate” (EDUCO – Educación con Participación de la Comunidiad) program was started in El Salvador to better education in rural areas of the country while paying particular attention to children aged 4 to 22 and placing an even greater emphasis on girls. The program connects an association of parents with the Salvadoran Department of Education, with the Department of Education providing funds to the rural equivalent of parent’s associations (Community Education Association – Asociación Comunal para la Educación or ACE) for the members to run EDUCO schools, thus making education a community effort.

The program intends to increase access to and the quality of education and to create “complimentary” programs that will better rural Salvadoran life. Thus far the initiative has increased community participation in education, increased access to education, and has provided better equipped classrooms.

Salvadoran school children

Goal:

To provide students, aged 4 to 22, living in rural areas of El Salvador with educations through the third cycle.

Objectives:

To increase the supply of educational services in the poorest rural communities.

Introduction of EDUCO schools.

To promote the participation of local community members in their children’s education.

Creation of ACEs.

To improve the quality of pre-primary and primary schooling.

Brought in qualified teachers and offered teacher training.
Updated teaching materials.

Timeline:

EDUCO began in 1991, at the conclusion of the 12 year Salvadoran civil conflict. The program has been active ever since.

Audiences:

Parents
Students (particularly those aged 4 to 22, girls, those with disabilities, those likely to miss school or drop out, those who are illiterate)
Teachers
Administrators
Government officials, particularly the Ministry of Education
Local communities
International organizations
Churches

Channels:

Through direct involvement with members of the community, the Ministry of Education could implement this program of several community run school systems. From there the messages were carried through each ACE and through the teachers.

Message:

The key message of EDUCO is that community participation is essential to a student’s success in education. Community participation should reduce absenteeism and drop out rates in schools in rural areas of El Salvador. The underlying message is that the cultural situation of the country, the area, and the family impact the educational process.

Evaluation:

Program organizers claim that EDUCO schools have offered increased access to education for students in rural areas, have improved the quality of education for such students, and have created complimentary programs like ones for school nutrition. They also claim to have better equipped classrooms and better leadership.

In July 1997, The World Bank and the El Salvador Ministry of Education conducted an evaluation of the EDUCO programs in comparison to traditional public schools. The study compared 311 third grade classes in both EDUCO schools and traditional schools. The study concluded that ACEs are much more involved in school activities than traditional parent’s associations and that EDUCO has been successful in increasing parent and community involvement in local education. The study found that due to living conditions in rural areas, students in EDUCO schools were more likely to become ill, thus contributing to increased absenteeism. Overall, the study concluded that there are statistically no differences between students in EDUCO schools and students in traditional schools.

Jen Costa (Master of Arts, 2005) jencosta03@gmail.com; R.S. Zaharna, International Public Relations, American University