Latin America shares its vision for the Global Education Meeting: Countries express concern for those being left behind

• The Latin American regional consultation, convened by UNESCO, reviewed the preliminary draft of the global declaration to bring a voice from the continent.
• Country representatives insisted on maintaining and increasing public financing for education as the engine for reconstruction of society and the economy.

The regional meeting, held online on September 23, 2020, is part of a series of meetings designed to ensure that the voices of UNESCO Member States, civil society and other actors are heard and included in the Declaration of the said global meeting.

Representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela participated, as well as representatives from UNESCO and other organizations international, multilateral and civil society, all joining in the discussion of the educational impact by COVID-19.

Participants focused on the principal national challenges to ensure the right to education in a global context that is currently focused on short term public health, economic and social welfare responses.  This scenario means that education risks being eclipsed, despite its role as a powerful and effective engine of economic recovery in the immediate term, and of sustainable development and transformation in the long term. They stressed that public financing for education must be maintained and increased to face the challenges prior to COVID, and the new problems produced by the pandemic.

The educational impact caused by COVID-19 and the contraction in GDP that it brings, the country representatives also highlighted their concern about the effects on the most vulnerable, especially those who were outside the educational system before the pandemic began, the fact that manty may abandon their schooling because of its effects. These challenges are widely shared across the region, as is the value of international cooperation to help face them. This solidarity was highlighted by Claudia Uribe, director of the Regional Office of Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago) in her remarks. 

Countries expressed their reservations about increasing pressure to begin reopening processes, whether for economic reasons or to ensure that schools address the social vulnerabilities of many of their students.  Recognition of the efforts of teachers, families and students themselves to maintain educational continuity was highlighted and participants noted how crucial it is to listen to these three groups before making decisions about returning to face-to-face classes.

Issues discussed also included the importance of socio-emotional learning and the multiple ways in which the internet, radio and television have been key to continuity of learning.  Several representatives mentioned that connectivity and access to equipment and ICTs should be declared public goods and considered as part of the right to education.