Across Bolivia, public education systems struggle to keep pace with rapid urban expansion and growing school-aged populations¹. While primary school enrollment rates remain high, pre-primary and secondary education access faces major structural bottlenecks due to underfunded public infrastructure¹,². National reports indicate that nearly 25 percent of secondary-aged youth across Bolivia are unable to complete their education, often due to packed classrooms and limited space in public schools¹,³. Without sufficient physical infrastructure to accommodate young children at early entry ages, overcrowded public institutions are frequently forced to restrict enrollment, creating early learning barriers that compound as students grow².
In the rapidly expanding departmental capital of Santa Cruz, severe classroom shortages directly impact hundreds of families seeking quality public education¹. Many local neighborhood schools face extreme space constraints, forcing administration teams to operate multiple shifts each day with class sizes exceeding 40 students per room. Due to a complete lack of dedicated early childhood facilities, local primary and secondary departments are forced to turn away over 120 eager students every year—especially 5-year-olds attempting to start kindergarten². Without dedicated preschool classrooms, young toddlers occupy space needed for older students, limiting campus capacity across both morning and afternoon shifts.
This year, HXP Builders are helping to build three classrooms at the school in Santa Cruz! This new building will create a dedicated pre-primary wing, finally giving 5-year-old kindergarteners a safe space of their own. Moving the youngest students into their own building unlocks massive capacity across the entire school—opening up 90 new primary spots and 180 new secondary spots across morning and evening shifts. In total, this project will pave the way for 270 additional kids and teens to get off waiting lists, step into a classroom, and build a brighter future¹.
Sources:
¹ World Bank – Bolivia Country Overview & Human Capital Indicators
² UNICEF Bolivia – Childhood Education Access & Social Protection Briefs
³ CEIC & World Bank Data – Bolivia Secondary School Net Enrollment Metrics