EDUCATION IN PERU

INCA EDUCATION SYSTEM AND CURRENT EDUCATION SYSTEM

1. INCA EDUCATION SYSTEM

Incas had a clear segregation system in place when it came to imparting
knowledge and education. The education given to men of nobility was very
different from what the masses/commoners learned. Furthermore, the princes and
princesses were taught different things as per the roles they were expected to play
in their lives.

Noble Education
In the thirteenth century a school was established by Inca Sinchi Roca in Cusco.
The men who taught in these schools were philosophers, amautas and poets. Since
they had no writing systems the teachers spoke and taught their students by
practice, repetition and experience.
It is believed that the young members of the royal family and a few other talented
youngsters who were chosen from around the Inca Empire, commenced their
educational lives at the age of 13 and graduated at the age of 16. The best scholars
of the empire called the Amawtakuna conducted sessions for these privileged
students (young novices or yachakuq runa).

The subjects they studied were:

 Quecha Language (Year 1)
 Inca Religion (Year 2)
 Quipu (Year 3)
 Inca History (Year 4)
 Physical Education (boxing, wrestling, fighting)
 Military Techniques
 Politics
 Morality
 All education was given orally as there was no system of writing. Examinations
were held at the end of every young novice's educational life and they were
presented with special underwear called wara when they successfully proved the
knowledge they had obtained. A wara signified the virility and maturity of each
student who received it. After this a graduation ceremony was held, where these
future leaders of the Inca empire displayed their command over the subjects they
had learned. A show of physical strength and martial skills was held to prove their
masculinity. These ceremonies were attended by the most respected Inca scholars
and other aristocratic members. These ceremonies usually ended with the
Sovereign of the Inca State piercing the ear of every participant and declaring
them to be the "Children of the Sun."

Commoners Education

The majority of people in the Inca empire did not go to formal schools and instead
had a practical vocational education with the passing of knowledge down from
one generation to the next including information on subjects of:
 Agriculture
 Fishing
 Hunting
 Masonry
 rope bridge making
 road construction
 stonework

All this was taught by the elders in the family. The majority did not attend schools
of any kind. So, the manual but all important tasks such as building fortresses,
temples, irrigation systems, stone buildings, roads, rope bridges and water
fountains were all carried out by commoners.

Female Education
Training for the girls was different. The girls with talent and beauty were chosen
from the villages. They were named as virgin of the sun. They were given training
 on the art of spinning, weaving, cooking, chicha-making (fermented and non-
fermented corn drinks and religion They also went to school for four years.

The princesses and a chosen few were taught the art of governance at girls-only
schools called Aqlla wasi but not in so much detail as their male counterparts.
Women from all stations of life were groomed to enhance their feminine ways. At
the end of their education, some chose to become teachers themselves, while some
from lower stations in life were chosen to become secondary wives of the Sapa
Inca or were sent to men of power as rewards.

2. CURRENT EDUCATION SYSTEM

Current Education is offered at four main levels:
 compulsory pre-school education (educación inicial), age 5
 Primary
 Secondary
 High Education

Primary
Primary schooling consists of up to six teaching hours per day and 30 hours a
week. Mandatory subjects include:
 Mathematics
 Communications
 Art
 Personal development
 Physical education
 Religious education
 Science and environment

For curricular purposes, the six years of primary education are divided into three
two-year cycles.

Secondary
The ministry of education sets a very broad and general national curriculum at the
secondary level. It includes the following subjects which every student must take:
  Mathematics (3 hours per week minimum, but typically 4)
 Communication (3 hours minimum, but typically 4)
 Foreign language (English) / indigenous (2 hours)
 Art (2 hours)
 History, geography and economics (3 hours)
 Civics (2 hours)
 Social skills (2 hours)
 Physical education (2 hours)
 Religious education (2 hours)
 Science, technology and environmental studies (3 hours)
 Vocational training (2 hours)
 Elective hours and personal studies (9 hours)

Secondary education is made up of seven teaching hours per day, 35 hours a

week and 40 weeks a year. For the first two years of the secondary cycle, all
students follow a general education curriculum. For the final three years, students
choose to follow either the technical stream or the academic stream. Both provide
access to university study.

Students who graduate from secondary school receive the Certificado Oficial
de Estudios de Educación Secundaria. Students holding the school leaving
certificate are eligible to sit for university entrance examinations.

Higher education
Higher education is offered mainly through the nation’s university system.
There are currently 51 public (nacional) universities and 89 private (particulare)
universities in our country. University-level institutions also include many
specialized art, music and religious institutions that are called conservatorio,
instituto, and escuela superior.
The academic year typically lasts 34-36 weeks and is divided into two
semesters. Courses are credit (créditos) weighted and start in late March or early
April. A credit hour is equivalent to one hour (45-50 minutes) of instruction per
week, or two hours of practical work per semester.
Admission to higher education
Admission to higher education is based on completion of secondary school and
having the requisite qualification, the Certificado Oficial de Estudios de
Educación Secundaria. Admission is competitive and very selective, especially to
prestigious public institutions. Entrance exams are usually held once or twice a
year during the holidays.

Undergraduate
The first two years of the university curriculum is devoted to general studies,
followed by a period of specialization of three years (five years total), leading to
the title of Bachiller. Students are typically required to complete a final project
(trabajo de investigación) and show proficiency in a foreign language.

The Bachiller is an academic title. In order to earn the corresponding

professional title (Licenciado / Titulo Profesional), a student must complete an
additional requirement. This can be a thesis or six-month internship with a report
or, in some cases, comprehensive examinations. In order to practice a licensed
profession in Peru, a graduate is required to hold the professional title, such as
Ingeniero, Médico, Abogado, Economista. In order to qualify for the Título
Profesional de Abogado (lawyer) a one-year work placement must also be
completed.

Graduate
Admission to the second stage of university study is based on a Bachiller or
equivalent (professional title not required). Programs leading to the title of Grado
de Maestro/Magister are typically two years in duration and require the defense
of original research work. In law and medicine, the professional title is obtained
three and five years respectively after the award of the Bachiller.

Admission to a doctoral program requires a master’s degree. The program lasts

a minimum of three years and requires the completion and defense of a
dissertation. Successful candidates are awarded the Grado de Doctor.
https://glstcapstone11.atavist.com/protecting-endangered-languages-and-bilingual-
education-in-peru

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