Latin America and the Caribbean is facing the biggest education crisis in their history. The severe educational impacts of COVID-19 demand urgent, coordinated, and scaled-up action to rescue the present and future of the region's children and young people. In Latin America, the percentage of children affected by learning poverty -52% before the pandemic- could reach more than 70% due to prolonged school closures and the digital divide that reduced the effectiveness of remote learning.
The recovery of basic learning must be addressed urgently, and can be achieved through a common political commitment, the coordination of all actors in the education system, and efficient investment for the benefit of our children and teachers. The World Bank highlights four key areas for the achievement of this goal:
- Prioritize basic learning using the correct method, including reading and mathematics.
- Improve the quality of the teachers by providing them with the necessary support.
- Ensure that schools/colleges have the necessary materials to promote learning.
- Implement the educational system’s measurement methodologies to improve efficiency in management at the local level and throughout the entire system.
