For enthusiasts of computers in the classrooms, a 2015 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) may have come as a rude surprise. Several OECD countries have invested heavily in information technology, the report found. But students in those countries didn't significantly improve their abilities in reading, mathematics and science as a result. … [Read more...] about When It Comes to Education, Computers Can Be a Dangerous Temptation
#Chile
Can Voucher Schools Improve Education? Ask Chile
After a historically fierce and bruising battle, Betsy DeVos, a proponent of school choice, was confirmed Feb 7. as the education secretary of the United States. Devos's supporters applauded her backing of charter schools and vouchers for study in private and religious schools. Opponents argued just as passionately that allowing such options would undermine the public school … [Read more...] about Can Voucher Schools Improve Education? Ask Chile
Revisiting Policymaking in a Troubled Region
During much of its recent history, Latin America has alternated between policies that are state-controlled and those that are market-centered. It has swung from the import-substitution model of the post war era to the liberalization of the Washington Consensus of the 1990s with a host of lesser variations in areas ranging from industry to trade. Yet, significant advances … [Read more...] about Revisiting Policymaking in a Troubled Region
Reforming Constitutions: A Pandora’s Box
In March 1990, some 2 million Colombians cast a symbolic vote during elections demanding a new constitution. The vote followed a harrowing year of guerrilla, paramilitary and drug trafficking violence. Three presidential candidates had been assassinated, and many people argued that only a new national charter, creating a more inclusive, representative and decentralized … [Read more...] about Reforming Constitutions: A Pandora’s Box
Natural Disasters: How Nations Build Resilience
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake which struck Haiti in 2010, killing more than 220,000 people and leaving 1 million homeless, governments and multilateral organizations gathered in New York to pledge an unprecedented $10 billion in emergency aid and long-term reconstruction. “Our goal is not to rebuild. It is to build back better,” said then U.N. … [Read more...] about Natural Disasters: How Nations Build Resilience