On 25 January 2022, the OECD Council decided to open accession discussions with Peru. On 10 June 2022, the Council adopted the Roadmap for the accession of Peru to the OECD Convention [C/MIN(2022)24/FINAL] (the Roadmap) setting out the terms, conditions and process for accession to the OECD. The Roadmap provides that in order to allow the Council to take an informed decision on the accession of Peru, Peru will undergo in-depth reviews by OECD technical committees listed in the Roadmap, including the Education Policy Committee.
Over the past two decades, Peru has pursued wide-ranging reforms to strengthen its education and skills system, supported by a clear national vision and sustained public investment. Participation in education is now near universal for children from pre-primary to secondary school, tertiary enrolment has increased, and learning outcomes have moved closer to the average of OECD countries in Latin America. Current reforms include upgrading education infrastructure, widening access to ECEC for children under three, and developing a more coherent vocational and tertiary education system aligned with labour market needs. These efforts sit within broader national ambitions for productivity growth, social inclusion, and improved transitions from education to employment.
However, realising this agenda will depend on addressing a number of long-standing structural challenges. Access to quality education and training in Peru remains uneven, with socio-economic and geographical background strongly shaping learning and employment opportunities. At the same time, seven in ten workers are employed informally, a situation that will be hard to redress without stronger vocational pathways and closer partnerships between education, employers and local government.
This report was prepared to support the accession review discussion of the Education Policy Committee with Peru. It draws on OECD research and international experience to explore how Peru can build on its reform efforts to deliver on the twin goals of quality and equity in education and training. It assesses Peru’s education and skills policies across the full learning lifecycle—from early childhood education and care through to tertiary education and adult learning—using five principles that underpin effective education systems:
A strong focus on improving learning outcomes.
Equity in educational opportunity.
The capacity to collect and use data to inform policy.
The effective use of funding to support improvement.
Inclusive, multi-stakeholder engagement in policy design and implementation.
In accordance with Paragraph 28 of the Roadmap and upon request of Peru, the Education Policy Committee agreed to declassify this report and publish it under the authority of the Secretary-General, in order to allow a wider audience to become acquainted with its content. Publication of this document and the analysis and recommendations contained therein do not prejudge in any way the outcome of evaluations conducted as part of Peru’s accession process to the OECD.
The analysis recognises Peru’s achievements to date and offers concrete recommendations to help translate policy ambitions into sustained progress. Above all, we hope this report will support Peru in building an education and skills system that delivers excellence and opportunity for all.
Andreas Schleicher,
Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General,
OECD Director for Education and Skills