Jose Ibarra

Jose Ibarra (M.A. ’19)

International and Transcultural Studies; International Education Development 

Poster Title: Analysis of Peru’s Education Policy for Internally Displaced Persons

Abstract: Nearly two decades have passed since the formal end of the warfare between the government and insurgency groups. However, the effects of displacement on rural and indigenous communities remain salient to date. Throughout the years, the Peruvian government has adopted international standards on internal displacement and has introduced a plethora of laws into the national constitution to secure the basic human rights of those affected. Yet, reports indicate that these policies have hitherto produced substandard results in terms of education quality, living conditions and economic growth.

In February of 2017, Peru experienced a series of landslides and floods that affected 1,718,331 people, more than 400,000 of whom were children, by mid-May. Despite the various efforts by international actors and national bodies, these events displaced 295,000 people—marking the worst wave of displacement since the guerilla warfare. This shows that displacement can occur either from violence or natural disaster and that it can happen at any time. As such, it is imperative that we revisit government efforts in place to assist displaced persons and examine
the components that obstruct their overall efficacy.

To inform my study, I’ve conducted desktop research and an extensive literature review from publicly available sources. I’ve gathered both qualitative and quantitative data on internal displacement and incorporated findings from the Ministry of Education in Peru and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center among others. I’ve also translated legal documents that were not be available in English.

The first section describes the history of displacement in Peru and provides a synthesis of victim demographic, key figures and the effects of displacement. I also introduce international standards on internal displacement and delineate related national policy and state programs. The second part of the poster provides an overview of the education system in Peru, highlights discrepancies in literacy rates between rural and urban populations and describes two education programs pertinent to internally displaced persons. Lastly, I discuss the education-quality gap, the factors that deter effective implementation of policy and provide targeted recommendation to stake holders and local actors. I end the poster with a conclusion and a disclaimer of research limitations.

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