DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO STRENGTHEN THE EDUCATION INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK WITHIN THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM: QUALITY AND EQUITY AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF COLOMBIA TO THE OAS ANDRÉS GONZÁLEZ DÍAZ

I. THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN THE AMERICAS. In Latin America and the Caribbean, despite the progress made in education coverage:  Only 73% of children attend preschool.  There are 2,7 million children and 1,5 teenagers out of school.  1 out of 10 elementary school children are not learning basic reading skills.  We do not have any universities among the top 100 in the world.

I. THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN THE AMERICAS. Our region according to the OECD:  Latin America must implement structural changes to improve education  The lack of adequate competence is the reason for the low performance of the workforce in Latin America, which explains low productivity and slow GDP growth in contrast with other economies, particularly Asian economies.  Latin America is one of the regions in the world with the most creativity and ingenuity but innovation in our countries is still very limited. Angel Gurría. OECD Secretary General. IIIV Iberoamerican Summit. Veracruz 2014.

I. THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN THE AMERICAS.  Inequality is the main problem in the critical situation of education in the world.  Education, and particularly the quality of education, is critical for the Americas.

II. EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAS. Quality education fosters economic growth, allows for poverty eradication and promotes better health, gender equality, peace and stability for the Americas. Source: Report Teaching and learning: Achieving quality for all, UNESCO 4/2013

3 key aspects:  To reach quality education there must be enough properly trained teachers as well as public policies relating to teachers that address the needs of the most disadvantaged.  Investment in early education: knowledge gaps generated at an early age are extremely difficult to eradicate. Children from low-income homes are especially vulnerable.  Innovation in education models: Better quality requires greater innovation (use of modern ICTs and bilingualism). II. EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAS. Source: Report Teaching and learning: Achieving quality for all, UNESCO 4/2013

According to our Presidents:  Michelle Bachelet, III CELAC Summit 2015 “An education reform, of which we finally approved a first draft on Monday of this week, must change the existing paradigm in Chile and ensure quality education as a social right and not as a consumer good dealt in the market. It is also a key element in developing opinionated citizens committed with their reality” II. EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAS.

According to our Presidents:  Juan Manuel Santos, III Summit CELAC 2015 “To invest in the education of children and youth is to build peace in Colombia through greater equity”. “Being the most educated nation in Latin America means that least one of our Universities has to be among the 100 world’s best by Our PISA (OECD) results must be above those of other countries in Latin America”. “It also means that not only our brightest minds study and stay in the country, but also that world’s brightest minds must compete to study and live in Colombia”. II. EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAS.

According to our Presidents:  Rafael Correa, III CELAC Summit 2015 “Education as a right and as a generator of human resources is the most important thing for development”. “Currently, our region invests 0.78% of its GDP in research and development. We must double this investment within the next 5 years to at least 1.5% of GDP by 2020”. II. EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAS.

INNOVATION AND COOPERATION. A hemispheric institutional framework that formulates innovation tools for quality education and promotes the exchange of best practices in order to encourage excellence standards and quality education for children and teenagers from the Americas, providing them with the necessary skills for work and life. III. DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO STRENGTHEN THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK WITHIN THE INTER- AMERICAN SYSTEM

RESOURCE MOVILIZATION FOR QUALITY EDUCATION IN THE AMERICAS. A modern institutional framework that allows resource mobilization for the improvement of education in the Americas and also funding from private entities, NGOs and other stakeholders in the education field. The generation of synergies and partnerships within an efficient inter-American institutional framework will strengthen high impact hemispheric education projects. III. DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO STRENGTHEN THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK WITHIN THE INTER- AMERICAN SYSTEM

Challenges Possible Solutions Address budget constrains within countries and the OAS. Though public-private partnerships and the creation of voluntary funds, among others, in the first stage. Eliminate task duplication within the new institution. Identify what is being done and the gaps that exist in the field. Other institutions should be partners, not competitors. Create and institutional framework aligned with strategic vision of the OAS. Restructuring the Organization and reconciling budget constraints and efficiency. III. DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO STRENGTHEN THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK WITHIN THE INTER- AMERICAN SYSTEM

We hope that all these elements and the report submitted by the Secretariat of the OAS contribute to the discussion and the Ministers of Education of the Americas gathered here can consider different alternatives to strengthen institutions in the field of education within the Inter-American System. This institutional framework will be a key element for the implementation of the Inter-American Education Agenda so it has a real impact on quality education in the hemisphere. CONCLUSIONS

ANDRÉS GONZÁLEZ DÍAZ AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF COLOMBIA TO THE OAS