Peruvian families spend up to 54 percent of their budget on school expenses for their children, according to a survey published by newspaper Gestion.
The survey by the firm GRM found that a greater number of families among all socio-economic sectors are willing to spend more on educating their children than in the past.
“It seems they’ve become aware of, in almost all socio-economic sectors, that education is the springboard for development,” said Guiliana Reyna, general manager of GRM.
According to the survey, 12 percent more families are also putting their children in private schools, as they have more money to spend on education. Nineteen percent of families said they would be willing to transfer their children to a better school if they could afford it.
If they can, many parents try to avoid placing their children in state schools. Teaching and infrastructure at many of these schools is seen as poor, while strikes by public-sector teachers have also impacted the number of school days, which often means making up the lost time in mid-year and summer vacation time.
About 25 percent to 30 percent of school days in the state schools were lost last year due to teacher strikes and other conflicts, Gestion reports.
According to GRM, the average amount that a family will pay to register their child in middle and lower income private schools this year is 475 soles ($185), which is up 177 soles from 2012. The average monthly fee is 522 soles, up 203 soles from last year.
In the socio-economic sector A, the highest-income sector, fees are an average 1,377 soles per month, while sector B will pay 604 soles, sector C will pay 339 soles and sector D will pay 93 soles.
