Education and schools in Lima’s barriadas during the Odría’s presidential administration, 1948-1956

Abstract

This article examines the history of education access for children of Lima’s first barriadas (working class neighborhoods originated by Peru’s mid-century demographic growth and internal migration). It explores the ways in which the educational policy during Manuel A. Odría’s 8-year rule (1948-1956) impacted on these urban areas and what were the parents’ expectations of their children’s education. This research argues that families of the newly formed barriadas were the driving force that propelled the implementation of public education. Facing limited support from the Peruvian state, they organized their communities to finance, build, and improve their school facilities. These efforts grew from widespread high expectations of education as a tool for social mobility. Historical evidence shows that despite the efforts deployed by the population, the multiple social and economic needs of the barriadas —as well as issues over their legal status and government indifference— led to a precarious and limited access to educational services for children and teenagers. Therefore, public education failed to fulfill families’ expectations of social mobility during this period.