Rojas Arangoitia, V., Campos, A., Cueto, S. y Sánchez, A. (2024). Interrupción escolar y vulnerabilidad educativa en el Perú: datos, estudios y recomendaciones para la educación básica en el Perú. Lima: GRADE. Documentos de Investigación, 129.

This report presents data, studies, and analyses related to the interruption of studies, commonly referred to in the literature as school dropout or early school leaving, whether temporary or permanent. Here, we use the term “school dropout (interruption of studies)” to refer to children and adolescents who are not enrolled in regular basic education (EBR, for its acronym in Spanish).

Based on an analysis of national surveys—such as the National Household Survey (ENAHO) and the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES)—and administrative databases from the Ministry of Education (MINEDU), including the School Management Support Information System (SIAGIE) and the Educational Quality Statistics System (ESCALE), as well as evidence from the longitudinal study Young Lives in Peru, we demonstrate that, despite progress in educational coverage in EBR, significant gaps remain that primarily affect certain groups of students. In recent years, the pandemic and rising poverty levels have disrupted the trend toward increased coverage

Although the Peruvian State has made efforts to address this issue, a national educational protection policy that provides a framework for preventing or reversing the interruption of studies is still lacking. There is an urgent need to design educational policies that address academic and social factors influencing school dropout, ensuring the inclusion and retention of all students. Active family participation and interinstitutional collaboration are crucial to achieving sustainable improvements in basic education in Peru.

To this end, it is also necessary to allocate human, financial, and material resources, considering territorial challenges; implement information systems to identify students who have interrupted their studies or are at risk of doing so; and provide relevant data about students to help school administrators and teachers prevent and address these cases effectively.