Higher Education Student Trends in Latin America 2019

Going to college can be the most important decision in your life, but have you ever thought of going to Latin America to study?

When we think of higher education in Latin America, it is characterized by its rich history. From this historical point of view, we can say that universities have their roots in Catholic institutions. With time, things changed a bit in this domain: private universities started to appear, and students learned that their opinion matters – we are referring to the Chile student protests at the beginning of 2011.

But there are some grey sides of this subject as well.

Latin American girls have difficulties in completing their education, which inevitably affects their future development, and that is why an increase in education budgets and a change in family mentality is required. The United Nations Agency for Women and the International Planning Humanitarian Organization have warned that despite advances in access to education at different levels, millions of Latin American girls remain out of the system or have to give up early in school, without even taking into consideration higher education.

The main reasons for school dropouts are pregnancy in adolescents, domestic work and a lack of state budgets for adequate and dedicated education. Regional Director of the International Plan for Latin America, Roland Angerer, told EFE that this is a theme illustrating the need to invest in Latin America in favor of children in general, but for young girls in particular. A girl with access to education and who succeeds in completing higher education will have more access to the labor market and at an economic level that will allow her to take her family out of poverty. For this, girls need at least nine years of quality education to succeed in accessing labor market opportunities, as their information shows.

Labor market – an improvement or still a challenge?

Unfortunately, as statistic shows, Latin America is still one of the poorest countries in the world. As local information shows, people are still struggling to find a balance and have enough money to live day after day. Even if they succeed in finishing a bachelor/master’s degree, they are not enough jobs in the market, leaving only a few options on the table. The result? Few jobs, many qualified people, and no opportunities.

In an Applicant Survey from 2016 to 2017, students (almost 41%) stated that they are going to college “as a requirement to enter a particular profession”, while only 27% confirmed that this is their desire. If we go and see the results for the feedback regarding masters studies, 24% have approved that “as a requirement to enter a particular profession” and only 6% said that it was a personal motivation.

Another aspect which has been observed during the last years is that quality of service is no longer an option in universities. Because many universities decided to adopt free-market reforms, quantity has become the keyword in this regard, not quality. That’s why many students don’t know what to do when it comes to finish their projects or to create their bachelor/master’s degree. Paper writer service will always be an option, and it will help you with you some essential steps in creating a professional project, and you should know that is the most accessible service when it comes to developing writing skills.

Education trends

Now, even if the market is not as developed as it should be, American students go to Latin America to finish their studies. The reasons are many, but here are some:

• Cultural exchange
• The opportunity to see another perspective
• Help the community to grow through personal experience
• Participating in local traditions
• Creating their own business
• Helping other local students when it comes to go abroad and study MA or PhD.

Now, given the culture’s richness, we can understand why. On the other side, each student must know that individual research and study is a must when it comes to developing information about this specific area. Most of the foreign students usually come back to their birthplace, but those who choose to stay are making a difference in business development. That’s why many foreign investors are people who wanted to implement the right strategy in their specialisation domain, leaving the opportunity of growing to those who are finishing their studies.

In conclusion, we can say that many children would say that Latin America is still a difficult option for having a quality education and getting a job which fits your studies’ profile. To do so, Latin America should adopt a better strategy regarding partnerships between the government and the private sector (as this is the situation in Asia), leaving more options for children who want to work and live a decent life.

Author’s Bio Nicole Lewis

Nicole Lewis is a businessman, with several companies around the globe, but the most important thing is that he studied in Latin America and he is a proud graduated. Not only that he helped the Latin American community, but he also wanted to share a fair experience and the reality of this specific zone: an opportunity and a challenge which, if you know how to face it, only great things will result.

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