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INSIDECOSTARICA.COM
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COSTA RICA NEWS
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Monday 22 November 2010 |
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How To
Keep
Kids in
School
Costa
Rican
Style
In the
past,
before
the "Avancemos"
program
introduced
by
former
president
Oscar
Arias
during
his
administration
of
2002-2006,
kids in
Costa
Rica are
staying
in
school
more,
all
because
it is
economically
convenient
for the
parents.
Under
the
Avancemos
program
parents
are
given
˘45.000
(us$90)
a month
for each
child in
school
after
primary
grade.
In the
past it
was
common
for
children
to leave
grade
school
and work
on the
farms.
Filling
the
parent's
wallets
with
money
the
government
has been
able to
keep
children
from
"marginal"
families
in class
and
lower
the
drop-out
rate.
Only
five
year ago
13% of
the boys
and 9%
of the
girls
would
not make
it or
drop-out
of high
school.
Since
the
program
began
that
rate is
now
10.6%
for boys
and 8.3%
for
girls.
Those
figures
are
taken
from the
“Estado
de la
nación”
(State
of the
nation),
an
annual
report.
There is
only one
catch in
the
payout,
the
families
children
have to
be in
school
for the
parents
to keep
receiving
the
subsidy
and the
family
must be
classified
as being
poor by
Costa
Rica's
social
welfare
agency,
the IMAS.
According
to the
IMAS,
185.000
students
are
currently
part of
the
Avancemos
program,
tens of
thousands
than in
previous
years.
In some
of the
poorer
areas
schools
are
almost
100%
with
students
under
the
program.
The "pay
to keep
kids in
school"
program
is not
unique,
though
new to
Costa
Rica.
Other
Latin
American
countries
like
Brazil
and
Mexico
have
been
using
this
type of
program
successfully.
In the
United
States,
New York
city's
mayor,
Michael
Bloomberg,
introduced
a pilot
program
in 2007
called
Opportunity
NYC.
However,
that
plan was
privately
financed,
while
Costa
Rica's
payouts
come
from
public
funds.
If
asked,
Costa
Ricans
do not
mind the
handout,
accepting
it as
part of
the
system,
part of
the
pride of
abolishing
its army
in 1948
in
favour
more
educational
and
welfare
programs
for the
people. |
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