The Role of NGOs in Promoting Educational Innovation: A Case Study in Latin America

An assessment of the education systems of the countries of Latin America needs to address three central questions: i Is education contributing to increasing the productivity of the labour force in an increasingly global economy? 2 Is it contributing to reducing absolute poverty and to improve equity? 3 Is it contributing to consolidating democratic institutions? Though conditions vary between schools in different countries of the region and within any given country, many will conclude that the simple answer to these questions is no. In spite of a long tradition of rhetoric on the importance of education to development, Latin American education systems have serious problems. The problems can be summarized by the lack of relevancy of much of what is taught, by the low quality of teaching and consequent low levels of learning, by the fact that education systems perpetuate social inequalities and by the inefficiency of education systems. After decades of policies reportedly aimed at providing educational opportunity for all, educational opportunities are unevenly distributed in Latin America. The quality of primary education for many is very poor, while education policy and spending in the region has emphasized higher education and quality education for a few, The opportunity to learn is seriously constrained for children from lower socioeconomic strata as the urban poor and those living in rural areas are served by the teachers with least training, the worst schools and fewest grades. 1 The bias in public financing of education towards higher education , which benefits primarily middle and upper middle classes whose ability to pay exceeds actual payments for the education of their children, further worsens equity. If the quality of education that the poor receive is deficient, this also presents a serious constraint to increasing the productivity of the labour force and to improving equity. Latin America has the worst income distribution in the world. Low-quality education for the large portion of the population that is poor also poses a challenge for the functioning and sustainability of democracy in the region. The consolidation of democracy in the region will require the participation and involvement of citizens in the conduct of public affairs. This requires motivation and competency in large segments of the popula-lion; low-quality schools mould neither, The long-term survival of democracy in Latin America relies on an educated citizenship. An educated citizenship will establish a base of increases in productivity which will set the economies …