Education in Latam and the Caribbean: A Call to Action

The quality of education in Latin America and the Caribbean should be one of the main concerns of the economic sector in the region. Training the talent we need to conduct productive projects and economic development requires immediate action from the private and public sectors.

The warnings were triggered by the OECD's 2022 Pisa test results, published in December 2023.

This measurement, which assesses the average of students from 81 countries in mathematics, science, and reading comprehension, shows a decline in the quality of education in Latin America, especially in Mexico.

Sixty-six percent of students in our country performed poorly in mathematics, dropping from the level they had reached in 2018 to the 2002 level (51st among 81 countries). They also performed poorly in science (51%) and reading (47%).

At the Latin American level, it is estimated that 3 out of 4 students do not have the minimum skills in math, 57% in science, and 55% do not have basic reading skills. The high level of inequality in the region exacerbates this situation. According to the OECD, 88% of the poorest students in Latin America perform poorly in math, compared to 55% of the wealthiest students.

What is going on here?

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic left its mark on the education system, as we can see from the test results today. We were unprepared to face the challenges of virtual learning, especially in rural and vulnerable areas, and many children and young people could not attend classes for months.

In addition, although government spending on education has increased, it is still insufficient. According to the ECLAC: “On average, in 2022, public spending on education in Latin America and the Caribbean met at least one of the two global commitments for educational financing: spending of at least 4% of GDP or 15 % of total public spending. However, the countries that invest the most in education in the region invest less than practically all OECD countries. On average, OECD countries invest per student almost 5 times what Latin American and Caribbean countries invest.”

Another decisive factor for the quality of education is the teaching staff, and here we are facing an enormous challenge. According to the International Survey on Teaching and Learning (Talis) conducted by the OECD, 24% of teachers in Mexico say they feel they need more preparation for their work. In addition, our country has the lowest percentage of teachers who say they have completed a teacher training or professional development program (62%) among the countries participating in the survey.

Here, we can see three fronts that must be attacked immediately: the educational gap left by the pandemic, the existing inequality in Latin American educational systems, and the insufficient investment of public resources in the training of children and young people.

Although these are areas that we have delegated to the public sector in the past, as entrepreneurs we can no longer wait for change to occur without intervening. The sustainability of our businesses depends largely on having people who are trained for the demands of the work of the future.

It is precisely out of this awareness that Latin America's prosperity depends on education that Collective was born. Since 2015, we have been working to train leaders who can adapt to the demands of rapid digital transformation and globalization.

In these years of experience ,I have learned that no single effort is sufficient. The real impact will come when the public and private sectors come together to take joint action to improve the quality of education in our countries. 

Opportunities for Higher Education

In Latin America and the Caribbean today, there are an estimated 30 million students participating in some 60,000 educational programs in 10,000 higher education institutions.

From an enrollment rate of only 20.7% in 1994, we have risen to a percentage of 44.5% in 2018. These figures are good news.

The increase in access to higher education suggests that if we focus on transforming Latin American higher education programs, we can have an impact on the workforce coming into businesses.

Of course, there are still some challenges that we need to address. According to a study titled Higher Education: Digital Transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean, by the Inter-American Development Bank, our region has one of the largest skill gaps in the world, and employers have more difficulty filling positions than in other parts of the world.

This is because many curricula are stuck in the past, making it more difficult for graduates to find a job.

Updating programs to adapt to today's world is imperative. Problem-solving skills, adaptation to technological change and value creation are just some of the skills that could make higher education institutions key instruments for promoting prosperity and development in Latin America.