By Hillary Ojeda
Peru This Week
The government is increasing access to English classes and weekly hours of instruction.
This year the Peruvian government announced plans to implement more hours of instruction and advanced technological equipment in public school facilities all over the country. In March they announced that 1,600 facilities in Lambayeque, Huancavelica, Apurimac and Ayacucho would be receiving 410,570 tablets to increase access to internet and educative programs.
Part of a program to implement more hours of instruction and interactive learning, the Peruvian government has implemented the “Full Day School” system. The Ministry of Education, however, has another goal in mind for the program: improve English classes.
98% of the total 1,000 public education centers within the program were installed with the advanced technological tools required to teach English at an efficient level. The schools were provided with laptops and interactive systems that will allow them to progress in their English learning, according to Andina news agency.
With these English sessions, the program has added “five school-hours per week” to the program that will benefit 345,300 high school students. The Ministry plans to eventually add a total of 10 extra school hours per week.
The Full Day School program will not only seek to improve the learning environment of its students, but also improve the social lives of the children who are often exposed to “risky situation” and are pressured to drop out of school.
Last November the Peruvian government, in an agreement with the United Kingdom, will be receiving over 500 British teachers to teach English in public schools. The program also entails an exchange where Peruvian teachers are trained in the U.K. to return to their home country to teach English.
