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)
The official entrance age to pre-primary education in 2023 is 4 years old. In 2023, 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. For 2022, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexeswas 64.74%.
Governance
Early childhood education has two stages and is part of regular education, defined as "the education provided to all children, adolescents, and young people, from early childhood in community settings to high school."
The Vice Ministry of Regular Education (Viceministerio de Educación Regular) within the Ministry of Education has primary oversight responsibility for pre-primary education.
Law 070 (2010) establishes that education administration is organised at three levels: central, departmental, and autonomous. At the central level, the Ministry of Education and its Vice-Ministries are responsible for designing, implementing, and executing educational policies and strategies, managing curricula, and overseeing administration policies. Deconcentrated entities reporting directly to the Ministry include Departmental Education Directorates (DDE), District Education Directorates, School Center Directorates, and Educational Unit Directorates, each tasked with implementing educational policies, managing curricula, and administering resources within their jurisdiction.
The Executive Branch regulates and defines national education policies and oversees technical-pedagogical services. All teaching, administrative, and specialised technical personnel executing these services are employed and remunerated by the National Government, ensuring unified provision of social services. Decentralised levels are responsible for infrastructure, supplies, and school feeding programmes.
Tuition-free status
Pre-primary education is tuition-free, according to laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Departmental Governments have administrative, financial, legal, and technical management autonomy and are responsible for providing and financing basic services, infrastructure, furniture, educational materials, and equipment for Technical and Technological Institutes. They also support educational programs as per current regulations. The DDE finances its activities with the National General Treasury, its own resources, transfers from autonomous territorial entities, donations, and other transfers.
Municipal Governments have similar responsibilities for Regular, Alternative, and Special Education Units as well as the financing of school meals and breakfasts. More generally, around 20% of taxes collected are allocated for this purpose, so many assume that this should be the percentage of the municipal budget allocated to education, but there is no formula for distributing educational spending.
2. Education resources to institutions
The Popular Participation Law of 1994 enabled the transfer of educational infrastructure to municipal governments and allocated 20 per cent of total tax revenues to these local authorities, though it did not specify the share to be used for education.
Teacher Incentives for Rural and Hard-to-Reach Areas
Salary incentives are provided for teachers working in rural and hard-to-reach areas, including disadvantaged schools. These take the form of bonuses such as the Bono Frontera (Law Decree 7190), which provides an additional 20 per cent of the base salary to teachers working in border areas, and the Bono Incentivo a la Permanencia al Magisterio, designed to encourage teacher retention in rural locations.
Educación Inicial en Familia Comunitaria (EIFC)
Educación Inicial en Familia Comunitaria (EIFC) is Bolivia’s community-based pre-primary programme, promoting early childhood development through a culturally rooted, family-centred approach. Its first stage is non-school-based, involving families and communities, and focuses on cultural identity, health, nutrition, and emotional development for children under four. The second stage is school-based for children aged four and five, connecting school activities with family and community to prepare children for primary education. EIFC employs local community promoters for home visits and group activities, prioritising indigenous languages and low-income areas. Funding comes from the Ministry of Education’s regular budget and municipal transfers, targeting vulnerable populations, including impoverished rural and indigenous families, and emphasises equity by expanding in underserved districts.
3. Education resources to students and families
No financial support mechanisms for pre-primary education (by the ministry in charge of pre-primary education) have been found.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Social Centres at SOS Children’s Villages
At a targeted level, Social Centres at SOS Children’s Villages aim to reduce the impact of socio-economic factors that hinder the integral development of children and their families. They provide support to children and families living nearby who wish to participate in improving their quality of life, based on the project’s available resources. The project focuses on the child and seeks to enhance their welfare and immediate environment through health and nutrition initiatives, early education, and child protection. Additional initiatives include training, promotion of small businesses, family development, and community organisation for mothers. Funding is provided primarily by SOS Kinderdorf International, the National Programme for Attention to Children under Six, the World Food Programme, local governments, and other institutions supporting children, women, and families.
