Educational crisis in Latin America : the financial constraint and the dilemma of quality versus coverage

The paper reviews public sector primary education in six Latin American countries -- Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama. The following aspects of the crisis are identified. (1) Funding is inadequate for even minimum-quality universal primary school coverage. Almost all funds dedicated to primary education are spent on salaries, with practically no allowances for instructional materials and school maintenance. Almost all school construction is externally funded. (2) Teachers" salaries have seriously declined due to inflation and are too low to attract capable professionals. Many employed teachers must hold additional jobs to make ends meet. (3) These conditions have created antagonism rather than strategic alliances between ministries and teachers" unions. (4) Management systems are incapable of maintaining maximum use of resources, obtaining more resources, or providing leadership for educational development. (5) Academic standards and achievement seem to be declining. Interviews with teachers and other experts indicated that 75% feel that the education of a sixth-grade graduate is inferior to that of several years ago. The paper states that the educational decline is eroding the human resources of many countries in the region, with far-reaching implications for economic development. An educational strategy specifying the roles of government, schools, teachers, parents, the private sector, and donors is presented in conclusion.