In Peru, there are five years of primary education and five years of secondary education. In total, there are only ten grades rather than twelve! Students graduate high school around age sixteen.
Andrés* is a senior, or a fifth-year student at a secondary school. He goes to one of Peru’s 25 high-performance schools, called the Colegios del Alto Rendimiento (COARs). The COARs are public boarding schools that teach the last three years of secondary education, and they are the best public schools in Peru. They are free to attend, but very selective. Students have to have been one of the top ten students in their primary schools and come from a low- or very low-income household to even apply.
This following is an interview with Andrés! Keep reading to learn about his experience at the COAR!
*Name has been changed for the privacy of the student.
When I lived at home, I would often have pan de tres puntas (literally meaning "the bread of three points," a type of bread from Arequipa) and huevo frito (fried egg) for breakfast, always accompanied by a hot drink, such as tea or hot chocolate.
