Chilean children begin school at the age of seven and attendance is compulsory for the first eight years. Students may continue with four years of secondary or technical-vocational education and several years of postsecondary education. The school year runs from March to December and schools operate in two shifts: from 8:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The shifts are a way to compensate for a shortage of schools and teachers. In most schools, December is reserved for final examinations, which include written and oral tests. Summer vacation is from January to March and winter vacation is in July and lasts for two weeks.
There are three different kinds of schools in Chile: public schools, private schools and publicly subsidized schools administered by the private sector. The government establishes curriculum standards for all schools. Many students study English or French. Some schools in the south, where there is a large population of German origin, include German in their curriculum. The public school system has a high rate of dropouts, especially among children of poor families. Efforts are being made to address the needs of various special segments of the population. For example, some schools provide special education programs for children with physical and learning disabilities.	Did you know? Initially, free primary and secondary schools in Chile were open only to boys. The first all-female high school was founded by Antonia Tarragó in 1864.
The Catholic Church runs many private schools and there are special language schools where the curriculum is taught entirely in French or English. There are all-boys and all-girls schools as well as co-educational schools. Private schools in Chile are considered to provide the best education. However, they are expensive and an option for only a small segment of the population. There are two types of high school programs. The arts and science program prepares students for university and the vocational training program teaches students job skills to prepare them for the workforce. Any student wishing to attend university must pass the Prueba de Aptitud Académica, an academic aptitude test. The student's score determines his or her eligibility to apply to the various university programs. Of the 68 universities in Chile, 50 are recently created private institutions. The leading academic centres are the University of Chile, founded in 1738, and the Catholic University, founded in 1888. Both are in Santiago.