SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — During the 2023-2024 school year, 15% of children ages 3-17 did not attend school or have access to education in Baja California, according to Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography.
The state has about 4 million residents with roughly 815,000 school-age children — that’s a little more than 20% of Baja’s population.
Statistics show 13.4% of girls and 16.1% of boys are not enrolled in school.
In Mexico, where education is supposed to be free through high school, some parents say it’s still too expensive when you take into account incidental costs such as uniforms, enrollment fees, classroom supplies and other expenses.
In Baja California, where many residents originate from other states, migration and lack of permanent housing is cited as another reason why many children don’t attend school.
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