Education

Through education children develop the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the risks of exploitation, abuse and violence that are prevalent in the second decade of life.  In our attempt to move children into a position where they develop the skills to be successful in life, we vow to treat the education process as an “investment.”  Our primary focus is on ensuring that all children have access to the basic tools that are necessary to succeed in the education process.  We work to make sure that high school students graduate ready for success and are prepared to earn postsecondary degrees.

The Deputy Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Mr. Marcio Barbosa stated that “In my own country, Brazil, it is estimated that, in 2007 some 600,000 school-age children never made it to school.  Thirty million adults in the region lack basic literacy skills, so important in today’s knowledge-driven society.  Education quality also remains a challenge; low levels of learning achievement mirror and exacerbate socio-economic disparities.”

“UNESCO is also concerned by the teaching shortages if Universal Primary Education is to be achieved.  In the region alone, it is estimated that 1.6 million additional teachers will be needed by 2015.  Teachers are fundamental to any education system; for this reason UNESCO has recently launched an International Task Force on Teachers for Education for All Program.”1

Early Childhood care and Education
Over the past decade, successful strides have been seen with respect to Education in Latin American and the Caribbean.  The region invests a relatively high share of national income in education and external aid to basic education has increased in recent years.  More children are participating in pre-school education, many countries have achieved universal primary education and more students re moving from primary to secondary education.  Gender parity has been achieved at the primary level in the majority of countries and adult

¹Address by Marcio Barbosa, Deputy-Director General of UNESCO, to the plenary sessions of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank