Pinocchio had it clear: "(...) at school, I want to learn to read immediately. Then tomorrow, I will learn to write, and the next day I will learn to count. Later, with my skill, I will earn a lot of money." These words of Carlo Collodi (1882) are still relevant today as we seek to promote a job creation agenda that guarantees the essential components of recovery and … [Read more...] about Reading As a Means to Improve the Standard of Living
Horacio Álvarez Marinelli
Horacio Álvarez Marinelli is a senior education specialist. He joined the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in July 2008 and is currently working at the IDB Country Office in Panama. Before being assigned to Panama, he was in charge of the education portfolios of Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. Horacio served as Financial Director of the Programa Nacional de Autogestión para el Desarrollo Educativo of the Ministry of Education of Guatemala. He has also served as Officer in Charge of Finance and Accounting and Secretary of the Pension Fund of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Subsequently, from 2004 to 2008, he was Advisor to the Office of the Minister of Education, in charge of the modernization of the Planning and Finance Area and Director of Educational Planning of the Ministry of Education of Guatemala. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master's degree in Administration and Public Policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin, under the auspices of the Fullbright scholarship.
Ten lessons from COVID-19 for the education systems of the region
Never let a good crisis go to waste. It is an opportunity to do the things you once thought were impossible. Rahm Emanuel This phrase is timelier today than ever. The education systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic to the best of their abilities, yet they facing serious challenges for reaching the most vulnerable … [Read more...] about Ten lessons from COVID-19 for the education systems of the region
Private education in Latin America and the Caribbean in intensive care
The COVID-19 crisis is hitting families and educational systems in the region hard. The pandemic has also had a significant impact on private schools and their community. Many families have lost their jobs and income and have been unable to continue paying monthly school fees/tuition. Other families complain that the distance education their children receive today is of a lower … [Read more...] about Private education in Latin America and the Caribbean in intensive care
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