Education
Venezuela’s percentage of illiteracy has been high, but since 1912 the system of education has been reorganized. The National Government has established in the principal cities primary schools with six grades. Attendance at four of these since 1919 is compulsory. The teaching of English was then ordered. In the various capitals are 22 colegios (high schools), several cities having also Commercial Schools, Schools of Fine Arts, and of Arts and Trades.
There are Universities in Caracas and in Mérida, with Schools of Law, Medicine, Philosophy and Letters, Engineering, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Theology.
States and Municipalities make additional provision.
Press, Religion, Etc.
The Press includes official gazettes in the capitals of the States, and other periodicals devoted to scientific, literary, and other special subjects.
Religion. There is freedom in religion; the State, however, contributes to the Roman Catholic Church. Civil marriage alone is legal; the religious ceremony generally follows, although in the rural districts, where priests are scarce and the fees high, both ceremonies are often omitted. Divorce is now permissible.
Venezuela belongs to the Postal Union and has parcel post; but service to the interior is rather primitive.
The Telegraph service, with about 6000 miles of wire, is cheap and called efficient; the telephone lines have double their length of wire. At Caracas, Maracaibo, and Maracay there are wireless stations communicating with Curaçao and so with the outside world. There is also cable service.
Money is in gold, silver, and nickel coins, and there are bank notes issued by four banks. The bolívar is the unit of money, equal to the French franc: 19.3 cents. A dollar passes for 5 bolívars. American money circulates near the coast, as does the English sovereign. The natives frequently use the term peso for which they employ the $ sign. As the peso equals but 4 bolívars this creates confusion and mistakes must be guarded against.