Map of Costa Rica
Travel Information
- Costa Rica International TravelThe U.S. Department of State provides information on traveling to various countries, including passport and visa requirements.
Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education
- Ministry of Public EducationThe Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education, or Ministerio de Educación Pública, features reports, official policies, and publications compiled by the ministry.
For example, Ingles Para La Conversacion De Turismo is an English-language publication discussing teaching English in the Costa Rican educational system, including policies and curriculum guidelines. The Ministry website is available in Spanish, but some publications, such as the one linked above, may be in English.
Natural Disasters and School Emergency Drills
Information about school emergency drills such as fire drills or drills for other natural disasters may not be available online. However, another way to be prepared is to be aware of some of the common natural disasters that occur in Costa Rica:
- Earthquakes: Costa Rica is in an area that is prone to earthquakes. Most are rather small and do not cause damage.
- Volcanoes: Costa Rica has 5 currently active volcanoes that occasionally result in ashfalls and spewing rocks in the surrounding areas.
- Hurricanes and flooding: Hurricanes occasionally make landfall in Costa Rica but are not usually a major concern. During the rainy season (from April through mid-November) it rains nearly every day, which may cause occasional flooding in some areas.
Background Information on Education System
For a brief overview of the Costa Rican educational system and related topics, try the article, "Costa Rice" available in the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library's reference book:
International Education by Call Number: Q. LB15 .I565 2013 SSHEL Reference Non-circulatingISBN: 9780765620491Publication Date: 2013-02-26
These reports available from the OECD, UNESCO, and the CIA also provide useful background information about Costa Rica and its educational system:
- Education in Costa RicaThis 2017 report from the OECD's Reviews of National Policies for Education series presents Costa Rica’s educational policies and practices. Available online by clicking the “read online” link from the page above.
- UNESCO Sustainable Goals for EducationData from UNESCO's Institute of Statistics provides detailed information on education, literacy, funding, and more for each country.
- CIA World Factbook: Costa RicaFor more general information about the country of Costa Rica, try the CIA World Factbook. This resource provides information about the geography of the country, including natural hazards. Some educational information is included underneath the "People and Society" section.
Spanish-Language Resources
Print Books
These Spanish-language resources from the University of Illinois library provide information on the history of education in Costa Rica.
- Historia de la educación costarricense byCall Number: Main Stacks, 370.97286 H629Publication Date: 2003
- La educación en Costa Rica de la época colonial al presente byCall Number: Main Stacks, LA446 .M65 2016Publication Date: 2016
Costa Rican Education Periodicals
- Revista EducaciónRevista Educación is a periodical associated with the Faculty of Education at the University of Costa Rica. It is a semiannual Spanish-language journal publishing research on topics such as access to education, the right to quality learning, conditions of teaching, formal and informal education, and learning methods. It is open access and available freely online.
Cultural Norms
For information about cultural norms in Costa Rica, try these resources:
Culture and Customs of Costa Rica by Call Number: F1548 .H45 2000 (Main Stacks)ISBN: 0313304920Publication Date: 2000- The Peace Corps Welcomes You to Costa Rica: A Peace Corps Publication for New Volunteers byCall Number: Government Documents Online CollectionPublication Date: 2015Although this online guide is aimed at incoming Peace Corps volunteers, it also contains general information about the country, culture, and customs. Page 12 of the document contains a "Further Resources" section which may be especially helpful.
Finding More Resources in the Library Catalog
To find more information about the educational system of Costa Rica, try these tips for searching the library catalog to find books, magazines or journals, DVDs, and many other resources:
Here are some keywords that may be useful in your search:
- Education -- Costa Rica
- Education -- Latin America
- Education, higher -- Costa Rica
- Education -- curricula
- Curriculum planning
- Curriculum evaluation