In Latin America, more kids are in school than in most other developing regions, but only some people are getting the chance to go to school. Kids in rural places don’t get the same opportunities as kids living in cities.

Primary school is free in Ecuador but some kids still can’t go to school because the uniforms and textbooks are too expensive. In some communities, the nearest school is too far away.

p(pullquote). Sometimes, even when there is a school to go to, it’s in bad shape.

A lot of schools in rural parts of Latin America don’t have roofs, windows, doors or even walls. It’s hard for kids to learn in schools like this—I know, because I used to go to one of them.

Latin America Education Facts

In rural Ecuador…

• One in three kids doesn’t finish primary school.
• Nine out of 10 kids don’t go on to high school.
• Two out of 10 schools don’t have electricity or clean water.

Why Boys Get a Better Education

Girls in Latin America go to primary school and high school at about the same rate as boys but the education they get isn’t always as good. Here are some reasons why:

• When someone is sick in a family or there isn’t enough money, parents are more likely to take a daughter out of school than a son, because boys are more valued than girls.
• Women don’t go on to college or job training at the same rate as men.