Costa Rica: 1,600 adults graduate via BEE program

More than 1,600 adults in Costa Rica have completed their high school education through the Bachillerato para la Empleabilidad y el Emprendimiento (BEE) program. The seventh cohort of this initiative, a joint effort between the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and the State University at a Distance (UNED), saw 1,619 graduates receive their diplomas at the Centro Internacional de Convenciones Ande in Belén.

The BEE program is designed for adults who were unable to finish their secondary studies due to various circumstances. Beyond academic certification, the program assists participants in developing entrepreneurship projects to foster economic and personal growth. To date, the program has graduated a total of 22,900 adults nationwide.

During the graduation ceremony, President Laura Fernández Delgado used the platform to advocate for the ‘Jornadas 4-3’ legislative project currently under discussion in the Legislative Assembly. Fernández argued that this exceptional work schedule—four days of work followed by three days off—would benefit transnational companies requiring 24-hour production and provide greater flexibility for workers, particularly women with family responsibilities in rural provinces such as Puntarenas, Limón, and Guanacaste.