Primary & Secondary Schools

🌐Description organisation

 

As one of the first countries in the world, Costa Rica established in the Constitution of 1869 that education should be compulsory and free. Since then, everybody is obligated to go to primary school. Most kids of the lower- and middle class, go the Public school, controlled by the Ministerio de Educación Pública: www.mep.go.cr. The level of education in Costa Rica is know as the best in Central America, but also in Costa Rica there are a lot of shortages at the schools and we hear from many interns that they are sometimes shocked with how little supplies the teachers need to do their jobs and how the teaching style is pretty oldfashioned. For example a lot is built on repetition of definitions and also, in English classes, English is taught at a level higher that what the children actually can understand/need. 

The Ministerio de Educación establishes rigid lesson plans and there is a strict control on the execution of the plan. 

 

Education in Panama is compulsory for the first six years of primary education and the first three years of secondary school. 

The elementary level has a duration of 6 years and is aimed at students between the ages of six and twelve. Basic subjects such as Spanish, English, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Science, Arts, Music, Technology, Physical Education, Home Education and Agriculture are taught.

 

The structure of the School system is as follows:

Preescolar

  • Ciclo Materno Infantil; also called prekínder children from 4 years old
  • Ciclo de Transición; also called kínder, children from 5 years old

 

General Básica

  • Primer Ciclo, grades 1, 2, 3; children from 6, 7 and 8 years old
  • Segundo Ciclo, grades 4, 5, 6; children from 9, 10 and 11 years old

 

Secondary School in Costa Rica (no option in Costa Rica yet)

 

Secondary School in Panama (one option) 

Education on this level is divided into 3 cycles, each lasting 2 years. Completion of the 12th grade makes students

eligible for admission to University. 

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Schools available: 

 

🏫School 1 Costa Rica (smaller public primary school)

The oldest primary school in Turrialba, established in 1908 and is located in the centre of Turrialba, Avenida 4, right next to the Central Park. At this very moment (2023) there are 235 children studying at this school.

📍Location

Turrialba (Costa Rica)

🧑‍🏫Supervision

Director of the School with teaching degree issued by the Costarrican Ministry of Education. 

 

 

🏫School 2 Costa Rica (larger public kindergarten, pre-kinder and primary school)

This school is located a few streets out of the center, at Avenida 12, Barrio La Guaria. At this very moment (2023) there are about 600 children studying at this school. 

📍Location

Turrialba (Costa Rica)

🧑‍🏫Supervision

English Teacher with teaching degree issued by the Costarrican Ministry of Education.

 

🏫School 3 Panama (semi-private & on main island)

This semi-private school with class sizes between 10 and 15 students, goes from preschool to middleschool 9th grade (in the Netherlands this would be age 4-15). The school is located on the Main Island of the caribean archipel Bocas del Toro, Panama. It is only a 5 minute walk away from the hostel where you would be staying.The school teaches in both Spanish and English. Spanish is the first language, but various subjects are taught in English (science, history, business administration).Thanks to the highly motivated and well coordinated teachers and the good teamspirit, the school organizes frequent educational school outings to local organisations and businesses.

📍Location

Bocas del Toro (Panama)

🧑‍🏫Supervision

Supervisor speaks Spanish and English and has a teaching degree issued by the Panamanian Ministry of Education.

 

🏫School 4 in Panama (public & on more remote island)

This small public school is not located at the main island (Isla Colón) and interns need to go all work days up an and down by boat to the school with the other teachers. The price is $2 per ride. Most students at the public school come from the Indigenous community that lives on this island and it makes the internship a bit more challenging and interesting as well as more rewarding. 

📍Location

Bocas del Toro (Panama)

 

🧑‍🏫Supervision

Supervisor speaks Spanish and English and has a teaching degree issued by the Panamanian Ministry of Education.

 

📚Fields of study

  • Education

 

✅Requirements

  • All school needs Spanish A2 level (min)
  • You need to wear covering clothing (no shorts, mini skirts, shirts without sleeves, flipflops)
  • Schools in Costa Rica: Summer holiday from early December till early February. First 2 weeks of July is vacation.
  • Schools in Panama: Summer holiday from early December en ends early March. Also most of July is a month of vacation.