The latest PISA assessment confirms that Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic, the only countries in the region to appear in its ranking, are far from the average results obtained by the OECD group of nations.
Although in the last ten years the average expenditure per primary and secondary student increased by about 15% in OECD countries, most of their states do not report significant progress in education.
Low educational quality, obsolete teacher hiring processes and lack of universal application of new educational programs are some of the factors that threaten the future of public education in Costa Rica.
"Education is the movement from darkness to light", said American philosopher Allan Bloom. The results of the most recent report prepared by the State of the Nation Program reveal that in terms of public education, Costa Rica seems to be in darkness.
Although Costa Rica invests almost 7% of GDP in education, spending efficiency is some of the worst when compared to other countries globally.
In its 2018 Annual Report, the Comptroller's Office of the Republic of Costa Rica carried out an analysis of the investment made by the State in public education versus the efficiency of spending, which is measured in the development of the skills of the student population.
In Panama, the Specialized University of the Americas is considering building next year a new site in Colón and another one in Azuero, and making improvements to the Coclé facilities.
The rector of Udelas, Juan Bosco Bernal, explained to Prensa.com that "... they are already working on the preparation of the 2019 budget, which they estimate at $32 million, which would allow them to have the minimum resources necessary for the Udelas to function fully in terms of teaching, research, extension and administrative aspects."
In Costa Rica, "of the 126,000 students graduating with technical qualifications, between 2014 and 2016, the vast majority gained the lowest level qualification."
EDITORIAL
Figures from the most recent report on the State of Education in Costa Rica, continue to show serious deficiencies in the education system, not only at the technical and university level, but, even worse, in Primary school, where basic concepts that will serve as a foundation for secondary and university education are supposed to be consolidated.
"More than half of the adult population has not managed to approve the second cycle of secondary education, meaning that many Costa Ricans will have to acquire new skills in order to take advantage of new job opportunities."
From a report by the OECD:
18/10/2017 - Costa Rica enjoys relatively high life satisfaction levels, but should do more to develop a more inclusive and sustainable economy, according to a new OECD report.
From 2015 to date, $393 million worth of contracts have been awarded in Panama for various renovations and constructions of public schools.
Data from the CentralAmericaData's information system on "Public Procurement in Central America" shows that from 2015 to date the Ministry of Education in Panama launched 1,063 tenders, of which 450 have been awarded and another 613 are pending adjudication or were closed without the contract having been awarded.
Central Americans and other Latin Americans are feeling more concerned about what Trump can say or do, than over the only thing that can really change the fate of poverty in the region, which is education.
EDITORIAL
The recently published results of the PISA tests confirm that in the best case, these countries maintain positions midway down the table of global results, and in the worst case have fallen in the objective measurement of quality of the most important resource for economic and social development, people and their cognitive abilities.
Seven out of ten entrepreneurs in Costa Rica would be willing to implement training programs for young people in the academic-work placement format.
A statement from the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP) notes that"...72% of employers would be interested in launching training programs under the dual mode and 83% said they already have accepted into their businesses students or trainees for internships or professional work experience."
Why insist on making students learn French instead of applying the resources invested in teaching this language to other languages that are more in demand by the market such as English, Portuguese, German or Mandarin?
EDITORIAL
The design of school and college curriculums is supposed to be primarily based on the objectives of the political social project being promoted by the government, which should prioritise preparing students for incorporation into the national economy, complemented by cultural elements which should cover the ENTIRE population of the country.
The quality that the school system has today will determine the quality and development that the economy can achieve tomorrow.
Panama's decision to re-join the group of countries which every three years submit their education systems to the PISA test run by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will determine any lags that may exist in the model of education in respect to developed countries, and lay the foundation for analyzing the changes that need to be made to increase the capacity of analysis and understanding of students today, for better socio-economic development in the future.
In Central America, the youth unemployment rate is estimated at over 24%, while in Germany, where the dual education is practiced, youth unemployment is 6%.
EDITORIAL
A visit to Costa Rica by the German Education Minister has put back on the table the concept of dual education, an education method where time is shared between the traditional classroom and work as an apprentice in a trade or professional specialty, in a company.
In Panama the date for receipt of bids in the tender for the construction of the Higher Technical Institute of the East in Tocumen has been postponed until February 26.
The Ministry of the Presidency has postponed until February 26, 2016, the delivery of economic proposals for the design and construction of the Higher Technical Institute East (ITSE) in the province of Panama.
Despite its development in advanced countries, including the more established social democracies, dual education is fundamentally opposed by those who will always be threatened by any changes.
EDITORIAL
As with education unions throughout Latin America, where there is an imperative need for radical changes in education systems which are increasingly lagging behind the rest of the world, in Costa Rica the corporation of education workers is radically opposed to any changes, even those that have proven successful in countries with political systems focused on social welfare such as the European social democracies, as is dual education.
The private sector is proposing that universities develop courses at a technical level in areas such as electronics or hospitality, rather than just focusing on higher level academic degrees and diplomas.
This shift in the educational system which it is hoped will happen in universities would need to be a public-private joint effort, since, according to presidential advisor Bayardo Arce, "...