What I do. Continued...

Education.
Everyone agrees it's important.
Here in Arequipa, there are several Universities. There are also some in Puno, Juliaca, Tacna, and even some types of higher education in Ilo and other places.
The main universities in Arequipa are: Universidad Nacional San Agustin- La UNSA (national), Universidad Catolica, Universidad Catolica San Pablo, and Alas Peruanas. There are various technical institutes around and about as well.
As far as these universities are concerned, it is hard to get into the UNSA because the tuition there is payed by the state. Unfortunately, the pay of the professors at the UNSA is determined year to year depending on the Budget and/or corruption of officials and so there are constant strikes by the professors. That SUCKS for the students. Turns your vacations into school and your school time into useless time and often means you end up studying a few years more than necessary.
The Catolica seems to be a prestigious enough place, but costly and the students are supposedly liberal snobs. (Just what I heard). The San Pablo is where my wife studied and they seem to be pretty strict about everything aside from being expensive. Here at my job we encourage the youth not to go there because they are really dedicated to the idea that one can not study and work simultaneously.
*** Side note and cultural observation. This sentiment about work and study is widely accepted and for that same reason, youth live with their parents much longer. This changes the WHOLE SOCIETY. Seriously. People mature slower, are less independent. The other side of the coin is that family ties are strong and there is a community support within the family. I'm glad I was independent of my family early and enjoy the self reliance that I gleaned from taking care of my own matters from 18 on.***
Alas Peruanas is generally looked down upon as the bottom rung of the university experience, but having only actually entered one university here(San Pablo), and seen the outside of another (UNSA), I really couldn't tell you.
I estimate that the percentage of people that seek higher education here is decent, but I am sure it could be much, MUCH more.
Something else different about the University experience here is that a person has to apply, be accept in, and follow one career. That means that at age 16 (when they finish high school) they must know what they want to do for their career. I think this is a bad system. Numbers agree with me. According to a statistic that the Ministerio de Trajo (work department) released in Arequipa a month ago: 80 percent of all professionals are working in something that isn't their field. That is a lot of wasted time and money. Basically, we have lawyers and doctors driving taxis and selling pirated DVD's. I like the State's option of letting you get in and than decide. I like the ability to leave studies for a while and than come back. Some universities are ok with this (UNSA) some are not, (San Pablo) but it is not easy anywhere. I like being able to switch universities, and having most of my credit counted in the new institution. Here, nothing counts and if you desire a change, you have to quit and than start from scratch somewhere else. I like being able to pick my classes and figure a schedule that works for me. Here you are assigned classes and schedules that are, frankly, ridiculous.

There are more things that I could say, but I think you get the idea.