Latin America and the Caribbean were colonized by England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Thus there are a great mixture of educational approaches and systems. This is a little complicated as there was no tradition of public education in Portugal and Spain at the time of independence. The Church had played the major role in education before the wars for ibndependence. Many of the newly-independent Latin American countries turned to countries like France ad Germany for models when they began to build national public education systems. An issue here was the role of the Church. Diferences between Liberal secularists and conservative Catholics was a major political divide thrroughout Latin America in the 19th century, Many countries have adopted school uniforms. Englisg styles are important in their former colonies, but some countries like Chile and Peru have adopted English styled uniforms. Other countries have used basic khaki clothes. Several countries, especially Argentina and Uruguay, have adopted school smocks as worn in Spain and Italy--an important immigrant group.

Caribbean

Anguilla

Anguillan uniforms basically followed British styles. In recent years, however, they have changed substantially. Virtually all school children now wear long pants to school despite the island's warm tropical climate.

Barbados

Barbadian school uniforms basically followed British styles. There have been substantial changes, but schools continue to insist on British style uniforms. Short pants, for example, are still commonly worn.

Cuba

Cuban school children wear red pants or suspender skirts. Many of the younger elementary children wear short pants. I don't know if this was a requirement, but most of the younger boys wear shorts. The children wear white shirts with blue and red Young Pioneer kerchiefs. The two colors signify different stages of participation in the Communist Party youth group. Once the boys ear their red scarves, more and more wear long pants.

Dominican Republic

HBC has very little information on school uniforms in the Dominican Republic. Like most Latin Amrerican countries it is likely that uniforms are commonly worn, especially in secondary schools and all private schools. One available image shows an example of school wear in the 1910s.

Grenada

Grenadian school uniforms basically followed British styles. There have been substantial changes. All secondary boys and many elementary boys now wear long pants.

Haiti

Haiti until independence was a hugely profitable slave-based sugar colony of France with no education for the vast majority of the population. The country's Constitution provided for free and compulsory primary education for all children (1805). This provision was absent in American state constitutions. Creating such a system was beyond the means of the new republic. The first leaders Henri Christophe (1807-20) and Alexandre Pétion (1806-18) began the job of constructing schools. The country in a few years had nineteen primary schools and three secondary lycées (1820). This essentialy provide for schools in the principal cities, but there wre no rural schools. The Haitian Education Act (1848) created rural primary schools. They were small schools with a shotened curriculum. The law also created colleges of medicine and law. Political turmoil and ecoomic difficulties prevented Haiti from establishing the comprehensive natinal school system that had been hoped for by the country's founders. Thus most Haitans had little opportunity for education. Wealthy Haitains sent their children, mostly sons, to France to be educated. The conclusion of a Concordat with the Vatican dramtically changed Haitian education (1860). The Catholic Church sent priests to Haiti which included teachers. This among other matters cemented the Catholic orientation of Haiti's ruleing class. Haitian public schools developed as Catholic schools in contrast to the secular educational systems fevelopin in Europe. The system was jointly funded by the Varican and the Haitian Government. The teachers were primarily French priests which in addition to instruction promoted an assoiciation with France among the children. The education message was essentially that Hait was backward and should look to France for enlightenment and essentially colonial message despite the fact Hiiti was independent. Essentially the French taught Haitians to look down on themselves and their country. The schools were mostly primary schools and almost entirely in the cities. There were a few secondary schools with excellent standards, but a very small part of the population attended these schools. Rural educatioin was very limited. The curriculum was very similar to 19th century French schools, emphasizing the classic literature and rote learning. The Americans tried to establish vocational education during their intervention (1915-35), but this refom was discontinued when the Americans dearted. Education in Haiti did not begin to change until the 1970s. Administrative and curriculum reforms began during Jean-Claude Duvalier regime and primary enrollments expanded. Even so, most Hautians dropped out oschool by age 10 years and only 8 percent of the school age children even began secondary school (1982).

Puerto Rico

Many Puerto Rican elementary schools do not require uniforms, but they are common in secondary schools. Most private and catholic schools do require uniforms at both the elementary and secondary level. Uniforms tend to be simple, often white shirts, both regular and polo knit shirts, and dark pants are common.

Trinidad

Trinidadian school uniforms basically followed British styles. There have been substantial changes. All secondary boys now wear long pants, but elementary boys commonly war shorts. Khaki shorts are particularly popular.

Central America

Mexico

I understand that Mexico has mandated uniforms for all kids in school. This was reportedly done primsrily because it makes it hard to tell the haves from the have-nots and gives the poor kids better feeling. I don't have confirmation of this, but one correspondent tells me: This could very well be true - living 3 miles from The Border/Tijuana and a frequent visitor into non-tourist areas from Tijuana to south of Ensenada], all school children I have seen wear uniforms. The children always look neat and tidy. Despite a lot of these children living in the most shocking conditions (plywood shacks, no running water, electricity, sewerage etc), their parents always take pride in ensuring the children are neat and clean for school.

Nicaragua

We have only limited information on Nicraagua. A early 20th century photograph shows schoolboys wearing a military peaked cap and a rounded hat. Both boys wear kneepants. The boys go barefoot in the tropical climate.

Panama

We have very little information about Panamanian schools at this time. We do have one school photograph from what looks likea seconady school in 1937. We have no information about the school, but the boys picture are wearing elaborate military uniforms. We do not know if all the students wore these uniforms or if it a band or cadet group within the school.

Figure 1.-- This looks like a class of Argentinian school children (probably first grade although possibly kindergarten age). They look to be about 5-6 years old. The photograph looks to have been taken in the 1940s. Both boys and girls are represented. They wear white smocks. Some of the smocks are belted while others are not, and they come down to about the upper thigh. The boys all wear short trousers, some with knee socks and others with long black stockings. One girl wears knee socks that have slipped down her leg. Another girl (on the extreme right) wears long stockings that are a bit too short and show her hose supporter on the side of her leg. The children are apparently enjoying a recess and drinking cocoa or some other warm drink from metal cups. Notice the boy on the extreme left who seems to be of Indian extraction. He wears long black stockings under his shorts.

South America

Argentina

Argentine state schools have not required school uniforms. Primary schools required children to wear white smocks, but under the smocks the chikdren could wear their own clothes. Argentina is one of the Latin American countries with the most European look. Argentine elementary school children traditionally wore white smocks--showing the Italian influence on the country and school system. While state schools did not require uniforms, private schools often did. We also note a British influence. Boys in some private schools wore short pants and kneesocks, rather like a British school.

Bolivia

Brazil

Brazilian private schools generally require uniforms, but they are generally simple uniforms with "T" shirts with the school logo and short pants in the school colors. Schools in the southern part of the country might have seasonal uniforms with long pants during the winter. High schools might have long pants or joggers in the school colors.

Chile

There was no public education system in Spanish colonial system. The church may have operated some schools, but we have little information on the colonial period at this time. Chile declared indepebndence (1810), but the Royalists were not finally defeated until several years later (1818). Ut us during this period that Chileans began to consider a public school system. Chile’s educational system developed in the 19th century. Educators primarily used French and German models as they built a national system. Progress was slow. Schools were most available in the cities and it was mostly the middle class that pursued education beyond the first few years of primary school. Even primary school attendance was not compulsory until 1920 and eve then there was no real enforcement of the law. The construction of new schools meant that schooling was becoming increasingly accessable during the 1920s. The Depression limited further proigress in the 1930s, but more progress was made in the 1940s. Poverty still prevented many children from pursuing education. The education of poor children was not addressed until major reforms in 1953. Another major reform has made secordary school compulsory (2003). Chilean school children wear uniforms. I am not sure when uniforms were introduced. Children duruing the 1980s and 90s commonly wore uniforms. They were traditional English styles. Almost all of the boys, even the elementary children wear long pants. Schools are now being given the option of not requiring uniforms.

Ecuador

Peru

We note some school children photographed in Cuzco during 1935 by Martin Chambi.

Uruguay

Elementary school children wear white smocks with big blue bows. The bows are not very popular with the boys.

Created: June 20, 1998
Last updated: 2:47 AM 6/10/2008