Ecuador

In the late 1980s formal education was divided into four cycles: a preprimary two-year cycle; six years of primary school; secondary school, which was divided into two three-year cycles; and higher education. Children could begin attending preprimary school at four and primary school began at age six. Attendance theoretically was compulsory for children from 6 to 14 years of age. The first three-year cycle of secondary school dealt with general curriculum that elaborated on that of the primary school. In the second cycle, students could specialize in one of several different curriculums. An academic liberal arts course led to university admission. Other specialized courses prepared students for technical schools or teacher training. Roughly 20 percent of primary and secondary schools were privately run.