Indigenous student learning outcomes and education policies in Peru and Ecuador

Abstract

This chapter compares education policies and outcomes in Peru and Ecuador, two countries with large populations of monolingual and bilingual Indigenous children. Using data from the Second and Third Regional Comparative and Explanatory Studies (SERCE and TERCE) on the academic performance of sixth-grade students in 2006 and 2013, it documents differences between the reading and mathematical proficiencies of Indigenous children and their non-Indigenous counterparts. In both countries, students who reported speaking an Indigenous language at home scored below their non-Indigenous peers, with the largest gap in Peru. Using student and teacher background questionnaires, the authors identify factors that can explain these differences in academic performance. The chapter also compares and contrasts the two policy contexts to account for the different observed outcomes.