Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In 2024, the official entrance age to pre-primary education was 4 years old. The same year, the number of years of free pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks and the number of years of compulsory pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks were 3. The net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexeswas 51,91%.
Governance
The Ministry of Education is the one responsible for financing pre-primary education.
Tuition-free status
Pre-primary education is tuition-free, according to laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
MINEDUC channels its budget to support students through teachers’ salaries, instructional materials, technology, support programmes, and the maintenance of public-school infrastructure. Departmental Directorates of Education act as decentralised bodies under the Ministry, adapting national policies to local conditions while planning, directing, and coordinating educational activities in each department.
Most funding for the Departmental Directorates comes directly from the free education fund of the MINEDUC. The allocation of resources for service payments is guided by formulas established by the General Directorate of Community Participation and Support Services (DIGEPSA), which determines the criteria for the decentralised transfer of funds to each public educational centre. The General Directorate for the Coordination of Departmental Education Directorates (DIGECOR) serves as the link between the Ministerial Office and the Departmental Directorates, ensuring coherence and oversight across all administrative levels.
2. Education resources to institutions
A part of the free education fund, each school receives, for the purchase of materials and supplies, a minimum of Q40 per enrolled pre-primary and elementary student, with potential increases based on individual school needs. Additionally, charging parents for uniforms, textbooks, or teaching materials is prohibited, and resources are allocated for support programmes.
Among these support programmes, several target vulnerable schools. The school supplies programme funds urban and rural pre-primary and primary schools for basic supplies. The school textbook programme provides books in Spanish and Mayan languages, designed by the General Directorate for Educational Quality Management (DIGECADE), to these schools.
3. Education resources to students and families
Ministerial Agreement No. 2520-2018 and its amendments, contained in Ministerial Agreement No. 1140-2019, created the programme known as “Subsidy for School Attendance and Retention for Preschool and Primary School.” The programme aims to ensure that students remain in public schools and complete the school year. To be eligible for the grant, students must come from a verified low-income household and be legally registered with the Ministry of Education's SIRE system.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Programa Mi Bono Social (My Social Voucher)
Originally launched in 2008 as Mi Familia Progresa, the programme was renamed Mi Bono Seguro (My Safe Voucher) in 2012 and later Bono Social in 2020. It operates as a social protection mechanism providing regular cash transfers to families living in poverty or extreme poverty. Beneficiaries include households with children aged 0 to 15 years, pregnant women, and adolescent girls who are victims of sexual violence, including pregnant mothers aged 14 years or younger. The transfers are conditional upon compliance with co-responsibilities in health and education.
The programme is financed through budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Social Development within the national budget.
In addition, the "bolsa de estudio" (scholarship) from the National Council for the Care of Persons with Disabilities (CONADI) provides financial support for students with disabilities who are enrolled in preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, graduate school, or non-formal education training programs.
