No classes, no teachers, no friends, no games, and no daily routine that children are used to. Now all the days seem the same. The health crisis has significantly changed our day to day. This has been a radical change for all students of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), not only being inside all day long but trying to learn from somewhere other than school. Across the … [Read more...] about COVID-19 and the gamble on homeschooling: Will it work for all?
Elena Arias Ortiz
Elena Arias Ortiz is a Senior Education Specialist. She joined the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in 2011 as part of the Young Professional Program. Her first rotation was in the Competitiveness and Innovation Division. Since then, she has been part of the Education Division. Before joining the IDB, she previously worked as a consultant for the World Bank, UNDP, and the European Commission. Elena holds a Master Degree in Economic Analysis and a Ph.D. in Economics, both from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Her research focuses mainly on the development of skills and the transition of student to higher education and the workplace and the use of digital tools to improve learning. Her publication record includes international peer-reviewed journals.
School closures: the challenge that COVID-19 has imposed on the educational systems of Latin America and the Caribbean
Rosita looks through the window of her house in Guayaquil and remembers her school, her teacher, and her classmates. She does not understand why she can no longer go out to play with her friends in the neighborhood or visit her grandmother, nor why her father has not come to visit her in almost a month. Her mother has told her she needs to study and do homework following … [Read more...] about School closures: the challenge that COVID-19 has imposed on the educational systems of Latin America and the Caribbean
Are women with a high educational level the exception?
María Teresa Ruiz is a Chilean astronomer and professor at the University of Chile. In 1997 she became the first woman to receive the National Science Prize in Chile thanks to the discovery of Kelu (a super planet), and a supernova, among other cosmic objects. … [Read more...] about Are women with a high educational level the exception?
Something more than police story: how the analysis and use of data improves decision-making in education
In the 90’s, the city of New York lived a turbulent time with six murders a day. More than two decades later, in 2014, the city had the lowest number of murders since 1963: 333 murders throughout the year, a little less than 1 a day. How did the police department of this city achieve such a radical change in violent crime? … [Read more...] about Something more than police story: how the analysis and use of data improves decision-making in education
5 key achievements in education for Latin America and the Caribbean
A quick glance at the front page of any major newspaper in the region for statistics to begin telling us a story about the reality we live in: how much did the economy grow or shrink, how many people voted for a candidate or how much was invested in a new infrastructure project. When it comes to education, however, neither data nor the reality they reveal are as easy to … [Read more...] about 5 key achievements in education for Latin America and the Caribbean