Caracas

Education

The Venezuelan educational system improved with the oil boom of the 1970s. Today there is a compulsory (required) six-year primary education, and the literacy rate is 91 percent. This high rate is due to the economic prosperity provided by the oil industry. However, since the more difficult economic situation of the 1980s and 1990s, cuts in education have affected many schools.

In Caracas, like other Venezuelan cities, children may go to private primary (compulsory), secondary, and professional schools. Public schools in Caracas tend to be less well kept and supplied than the private, tuition based schools. In order to continue after bachiller, or high school, students must achieve certain scores on college-entrance exams. Once passing, they may attend any of the public or private institutions across the country. Caracas hosts the country's largest and oldest university. The Universidad Central de Caracas was founded in 1785 and has approximately 70,000 students. It offers a variety of disciplines, including medicine, law, journalism, and engineering. Another large university located in Caracas is the private Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, named after the famous educator of liberator Simón Bolívar.