Limited factors in access to higher education in indigenous communities of Otavalo

Abstract

In Ecuador a higher education access has been a political challenge to date for government. Despite governmental interventions to raise rankings on this field, Indigenous and Afro-descendant have had lower university enrollment rate. The research objective is driven to undergraduate university enrolment limitations in indigenous communities such as: Cotama, Guanansi and San José which are located in Otavalo Canton. The research methodology was quantitative, furthermore; a survey was applied. The results show that high school graduate students’ aspirations to get a college education have been reduce dramatically due to factors like the number of siblings, economic situation (low incomes), Ecuadorian’s colleges allocation system which students refuse, and low performance in National Exams by Higher Education (academic aptitude test), arranged by the National Secretary of Science and Technology (Senescyt) to get a public university admition. Finally, the results were analyzed by University staff members in order to find mechanisms that help high school undergraduate students to access higher education to make ensure better living conditions for these people.