Education in Puerto Rico
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico grants the right to an education to every citizen in the island. As of 2002, the literacy rate of the Puerto Rican population was 94.1%; by gender, it was 93.9% for males and 94.4% for females [1]
Unlike most schools in the mainland United States, Alaska, and Hawaii, most public schools in Puerto Rico teach in Spanish instead of English. In the early years after the military invasion of the island by the United States Marines, public schooling was conducted in English. The general public continued with spanish as their first language regardless of the official plans to eliminate their latinamerican traditions.
All public schools in Puerto Rico are operated by the Departamento de Educación Pública de Puerto Rico (formerly the Departamento de Instrucción Pública del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico)
Overview
Education in Puerto Rico is divided into four levels. These are elementary, intermediate, high school and university level (undergraduate and graduate). Instruction at the elementary school level is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 18 and is enforced by the state.
Students in Puerto Rico attend either public or private schools. The public school system, which is operated and funded by the state, provides free and non-sectarian education at the elementary and secondary school level. There are over 1,500 schools, and over 45 thousand teachers. Of theese 32,000 have full time teniorships and are organized under the independent union Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico, the remaining teachers are either temporary or contracted on a yearly basis. Private schools, which are operated by non-governmental institutions, are typically affiliated with religious groups, predominantly the Roman Catholic Church. Homeschooling, an alternative form of education, is legal, but the Puerto Rican government has recently been making attempts to strongly regulate it.
Education in Puerto Rico is subject to a lot of debate. Particularly after the scandal where Victor Fajardo, former Secretary of the Department of Education was found guilty of stealing federal funds for financing political campaigns.
Curriculum
Accredited elementary and secondary private schools in Puerto Rico must meet minimum public education requirements for academic work (P.R. Laws Ann. Tit. 18, § 57). Public school instruction is conducted in Spanish, but English is a compulsory subject at all levels and is taught as a second language.
Academic Institutions
High Schools
Accredited Colleges and Universities
The largest public university in Puerto Rico is the multi-campus University of Puerto Rico. The largest private university systems on the island are the Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez which operates the Universidad del Turabo, Metropolitan University and Universidad del Este; the multi-campus Interamerican University; the Pontificial Catholic University and the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.