The Protests Continue in Chile

Chilean Students on Strike for Free Education
Prensa Latina
March 28, 2012
Citation: http://bit.ly/Hptptm

Santiago de Chile, Mar 28 (Prensa Latina) The Confederation of Students of Chile (CONFECH) rejected the conclusions of a government advisory panel, which rejected the establishment of free education, considering it inefficient and inequitable.

Today is Day of the Young Combatant. There are now numerous articles and news outlets that are covering the Chilean student protests. However, as the above video states, Al-Jazerra was apparently the only news outlet covering this story up until late. Prensa Latina states that it is the neoliberal (think free trade, open markets) ideology that is "inefficient" and "inequitable" to provide free education for students. The students are protesting the market system of education in their country because, as the article states the students believe education is a right, just as health, and thus structural changes must be implemented now because this current model promotes, or enhances rather, as the article puts it, concepts of individualism, selfishness and  exclusion. Students are undeterred by time, by police violence and have even resorted to hunger strikes. Please refer to this article by the Nation, which not only has another video that will raise your consciousness regarding this issue, but comments on some of the economic facts and figures that have led to the protests. Additionally, and most importantly, there was a huge protest this morning. The Santiago Times has been continuing to cover the story, and posted on March 18th, an article entitled "First march of the school year incites violence in Santiago" (see link) It is also worthwhile read, particularly because it is written in Chile by Chileans. 

Blocking streets with fires and recently displaced
street signs is common form in Chile's protests. Protests
littered Santiago all day Thursday in what was supposed
to be the first day of authorized marches in 2012.
(Photo by Jason Suder/The Santiago Times)

I am wholeheartedly impressed with the effort by Chilean student's to lower the cost of high education in their country and to ultimately reform the mentality of lawmakers and institutions. Please refer to the above video, though posted 2 months ago, it will provide you with a broader prospective of the developments and progression of this important protest against President Pinera's education law. The video raises some important questions regarding interconnectedness. The interesting thing is that normally in our blog we discuss North-South transfer. In this case, the commentators in the video discuss whether what is happening in Chile may not happen in the United States next, and this protest is an internal debate which has been brought on by globalization but requires a national solution. The Chilean students are not giving up, and that is what I admire most about their efforts. Also the fact that they are organized, they have a leader and they are mobilized in a united effort with an explicit purpose. They are not relying on outside sources, other nations that is, to rescue them -- they want change to come from within, from their own government. I say, Bravo. 

Jennifer blogged about this same story over a month ago in her post, Hidden Strife within Chile's Education System. In that post Jennifer takes a close look at the history of educational development in Chile and what factors, that is, colonialism (ex. European models of education) have led to the protests we are seeing today. Evan highlights an important mismatch regarding BBC's coverage when they call the protests "shocking". I say mismatch because, well, it does not match our thinking on this blog. As the protests continue we hope to get you updated with the developments and eventually hope that we can provide news of reform of an addendum to current Chilean legislation. 

Masked demonstrators shout slogans at riot police during
a demonstration marking "Day of the Young Combatant," in Santiago,
Thursday March 29, 2012. The Day of the Young Combatant
commemorates the killing of two young brothers by police in a 1985
protest during the 1973-90 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
((AP Photo/Roberto Candia))

On a day that is so significant to Chileans, and to those, like us Sigue bloggers, who genuinely care about education reform in Latin America, it is quite special to see such strong will, motivation and dedication to the cause. My comments on today's events, and on this ever-evolving story is short and sweet: SIGUE ADELANTE! 

Bridge Woes for Nicaragua

Ortega's Bridge Over Troubled Waters

By: Tim Rogers

Nicaragua Dispatch and Prensa Latina  

March 1, 2012

Citation: http://tinyurl.com/7afhqbkhttp://tinyurl.com/86e9qhz

President Daniel Ortega and Japanese Ambassador Jiro Shibasaki trekked to the Río San Juan Wednesday afternoon to lay the ceremonial cornerstone to the $30 million, Japanese-funded Santa Fé Bridge, which will cross the Nicaraguan river and connect to Costa Rica.

Article clipped, see link for details.

Did you know that 95% of road construction machinery in Nicaragua comes from Japan in the form of technical assistance? Apparently this relationship is not new; Japan has been funding road work projects in Nicaragua for the last twenty years. All this is coming to light with the recent cornerstone-laying of the Santa Fe Bridge, a Japanese funded venture, that will link Nicaragua to Costa Rica. The idea is that one completed in 2014, the bridge will allow for increased trade, tourism, and economic development between the two countries and that it will have wider implications for Central American cooperation. The Japanese ambassador said that the bridge will unite Nicaragua and Costa Rica, allowing for increased development. The ambassador also indicated Nicaragua's "priority" status for Japanese aid, and commented on Nicaragua's solidarity after the 2011 Japanese earthquake. The laying of the cornerstone was quite anti-climatic, and was accompanied by a bizarre speech from el Presidente Ortega. Ortega's speech, far from being prepared or lengthy, was mild prattle. Instead of mentioning the border conflict with Costa Rica, the Tico highway project across the river, the evils of capitalism, or his good buddy Tio Chavez, Ortega exchanged niceties with engineers. Then, in another bizarre turn of events, the event just fizzled out; he concluded abruptly, placing the first stop after bumbling over his words, and then it was over.

As you may have noticed, many of our posts indicate the presence of China and Iran in Latin America (see posts on Foxconn assembly-line, Taiwan student loans, and Iranian involvement in Latin America), and what this means in terms of globalization and development efforts in Latin America. Yet, these are not the only countries who appear to be investing in Latin America. Japan has long been a player in this mix, donating money to Nicaragua to deal with some must needed infrastructure maintenance. As other bloggers have asked before me, my first question is why? Why is Japan showering Nicaragua with $30 million dollars to fund a huge bridge, the biggest of its kind in the country, in Nicaragua. Is it because of the outpouring of solidarity that the Nicaraguan government showed to Japan after last year's devastating earthquake? I know that Japan is a very generous donor country in terms of foreign assistance. But still, I wonder about Japan's motivations for aid in Nicaragua.

I was also interested in how the article highlighted the issues that Ortega didn't speak about. In my mind, perhaps the most pressing were the issues that have to deal with Nicaragua's southern (and more well off neighbor), Costa Rica. From my own personal experiences in Costa Rica, I know that there are some rivalries between the two countries. Many Nicaraguans I met in Costa Rica encountered difficulties related to prejudices. I think it's interesting that Nicaragua and Japan both perceive this bridge as a way to unite these two countries in a very literal way. However, I think that without addressing other issues, like the border problem or the Nicaraguan environmental concerns with the Tico highway across the river in Costa Rica, this bridge may bring more harm than good. On the other hand though, perhaps the benefits of the bridge (increased trade, more jobs, potential increases in tourism) will actually help better relations between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.

Finally, in light of my post on the drug war and its affect on education in El Salvador, I wonder what this bridge will mean in terms of the deadly business of the drug trade in Latin America. Will its construction allow for an even easier pathway for drugs to make their way from Costa Rica to Nicaragua and onwards to places like El Salvador and Mexico? It's definitely an interesting point to consider. After all, while Ortega has proclaimed that Nicaragua is winning the war against drugs (see: http://www.nicaraguadispatch.com/features/is-nicaragua-winning-the-war-on-drugs/3099), the country's drug seizures have decreased, according to a State Department report. So, my lingering question is, what will the effects of this bridge be? Will we see an increased ease of drug trafficking through Nicaragua? Will it benefit trade and relations between Costa and Nica?

A Lingering Question

This is not your typical post, but I couldn't figure out where to leave this comment. Something about my most recent experience in Nicaragua keeps bothering me. During one of my interviews about the SAT program, a stakeholder said something to this effect: while SAT is helping in some ways (by addressing rural needs for secondary education), it is also creating new problems. There are more students graduating, and little to no opportunities for them to work or use their education. I think I struggle with this point a lot as a student. Obviously, I want people to be educated and to attend school and receive opportunities that come along with education. But what happens when there are no opportunities? Are we opening a can of worms here? Yes, I think so, and it's necessary, but we need to be cognizant of the other problems we're creating and be ready to find innovative solutions for them.

Slow and Steady Progress for Cuba?

Photograph: Alamy/ The Economist

The Castros, Cuba and America:
On the road towards capitalism

The Economist
March 24, 2012
Citation:http://tinyurl.com/7gu5jgd

In 1998 Pope John Paul II visited Cuba, prompting outsiders to await a political opening of the kind that brought down communism in his native Poland. Sadly, even two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Cuba remains one of the handful of countries around the world where communism lives on. Illness forced Fidel Castro to step down in 2006, but his slightly younger brother, Raúl, is in charge, flanked by a cohort of elderly Stalinists. When Pope Benedict XVI visits the island next week, expectations will be more muted.

Yet a momentous change has begun in Cuba in the meantime. The country has started on the road towards capitalism; and that will have big implications for the United States and the rest of Latin America.

Article clipped; see link above for full version.

On the eve of this changing of the tides, Raul Castro has embarked upon a journey to revitalize the Cuban nation. His paces have been slow as he attempts to balance the one-party rule system with the nature of his endeavors. Unlike his brother Fidel, Raul is a more practical man who recognizes that if the socialist system in Cuba does not adapt to the times it will fall victim to the changes it brings. As such Raul has turned to capitalist measures in order to organize and evaluate the current state of the country and its economy. One major step that Raul has taken has been to privatize certain sectors of Cuban society. For example, he has plans to transform the country's agriculture system, which employs a third of the country's workforce, into a wholly private sector.

However, there are consequences that can result from reform. Although Raul promises that he is strengthening the Communist party's control by intimating sustaining measures, he faces opposition from not only party members but ordinary citizens as well. When talking about this slow and steady change that is occurring one cannot avoid the issue of the future successor of the Castros. It is Raul's hope that through thesis measures of reform that he will find himself an heir to continue the work of him and his brother. There is a fear that the longer that Raul waits to transition Cuba's society and economy the more likely that the current government could face extinction. Another topic that cannot be ignored is the role that the United States will play in this process. The U.S.'s long history of both support and intervention in Cuba as well as the presence of 1.2 million Cuban-Americans in south Florida alone makes it unavoidable that at some point the U.S. will have to address Raul's changes. Its fellow Latin America countries feel that it would be more beneficial to encourage this type of growth, but it remains uncertain whether the U.S. will take action against the Castros, despite their current measures of opening up. What is certain is that after years of failure Cuba is taking a step forward by setting aside its politics for a moment in order to improve and ensure the continuation of its society.

As I reflect upon Cuba's journey towards capitalism I cannot help but think about what the consequences of this journey will be for the education sector. As a part of the socialist rhetoric, education like health care and other social services are available to everyone, but that has proven to be a system that has curtailed over time. Schools and hospitals have not been able to maintain their standards and practices hence inequalities have arisen from these situations of deterioration. As these problems are rampant throughout the various sectors I wonder how Raul will approach these problems and try to solve them. If he is so concerned with improving society so that its citizens will be ready and willing to continue the socialist way of life under new leadership when the Castros are gone, I would assume that education could be an integral component of this transformation process. A combined effort of preparing Cuban citizens, from school age to adulthood, to appreciate and see the positives of the socialist government might prove fruitful for Raul's end goals for this transformation. However, if he chooses to create a drastic change and privatize the education sector I feel that from what I have read about similar situations in Chile and India that this may end up causing more harm than good. By losing control of the education system he would be losing the power to control the knowledge of the ordinary citizen which seems counter to the socialist practices that his brother has maintained in the past. In its following years I will be curious to see what will happen to the Cuban education system and whether any changes will be made in order to expedite this process of transformation. Needless to say Raul will have to be careful when he is maintaining this balance of progress while also staying true to the socialist rhetoric so that he can appease his fellow party members and prepare his citizens for the future of Cuba.

Drug Violence and Education

Schoolchildren and Teachers Under Fire
in El Salvador

By Edgardo Ayala

Inter-Press Service (IPS)

March 13, 2012

Citation: http://tinyurl.com/6n7yux7

Wilber Geovany Hernández was gunned down as he left his night classes at a school in the capital of El Salvador. He was the 11th murder victim among the country's schoolchildren since the school year began on Jan. 23.

(Article Clipped, see link for details)

Drug and gang related violence has a new target: schools and teachers. In El Salvador, students and teachers live in fear, and are victims of crimes such as extortion, theft, and murder. The presence of violence is not only impacting student learning, but it also has significant consequences for the personal lives of students and tampers with their social development. Additionally, since teachers are constantly in fear of being murdered, many are requesting transfers, which also impacts student learning. The educational situation in El Salvador is already dire; dropout rates in schools that are most affected by the violence have reached 20 percent. There are two million student attending 5,000 schools in El Salvador. Of those schools, 340 schools have been labeled as dangerous and 161 schools are at high risk due to violence. El Salvador has one of the lowest rates of school attendance in Latin America. Nationally, there is 10% illiteracy, but that figure jumps to 22% in rural areas. Children's education is being affected by the drug and gang related violence; they are learning in a less than ideal environment full of oppression and alarm. El Salvador not only needs to work on improving resources for schooling, but also on addressing the affects of crime and violence on schooling. MINED will unlikely meet its target to lower illiteracy rates to 4% by 2014 because of the impact of gang violence on Salvadoran students. Last year alone, 139 students and six teachers were murdered, most of the deaths occurring near schools. Not only do gangs cause most of this violence, but the recruit school children in violent sections of the city, introducing them to the world of drug trafficking and crime. In fact, drug trafficking and consumption are already present in many schools, and sometimes parents manipulate their children and use them to sell. Despite an agreement signed by the Ministry of Education to implement a prevention and protection strategy for schools, the situation continue to deteriorate.

Make no mistake: the education situation in El Salvador is what I like to call a train-wreck. Too often, we hear about the murders and unspeakable crimes that occur due to drug and gang violence in Latin America. What we fail to understand is how the drug wars and subsequent gang violence affect education in Latin America. Of all we've written about thus far, we've mostly skirted over the biggest example of interconnectedness in Latin America: drugs. This is without a doubt the most negative example of interconnectedness, but it is a huge factor. After all, the drug trafficking business links several Latin American countries, from producers in Colombia to traffickers throughout Central America, to Mexican drug cartels operating on the boarder, to the buyers in the United States. As this article highlights, this dark and dangerous 'business,' fraught with violence, corruption, and fear, is taking a very real toll on the quality of education for primary and secondary school aged children across Central America. For El Salvador, drug and gang related violence seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back. The country's education system is already in dire straights, with high dropout rates, rural illiteracy, and abysmal attendance rates. Yet, the influence of drug and gang related violence is only fueling these educational challenges, in addition to creating new barriers in the fight to provide accessible and quality education in El Salvador.

This article raises several questions for me. The first is, why are students and teachers being targeted by gangs in the first place? It seems to me that students may be looked upon as an easily influenced and susceptible population, attracting drug gang recruiters. Given this mentality, it is easy to account for the high dropout rates in places where drug and gang violence is high: gangs are recruiting new members. I have witnessed this first hand during my most recent research trip to Nicaragua. While in an isolated and mountainous rural community in northern Nicaragua, I spoke with many students who talked about issues the community was having with a bunch of disgruntled youth who formed a pandilla (gang) and were essentially terrorizing the town. The gang even broke into the SAT school building to steal food that is used in the primary school feeding program. Current SAT students who I spoke with indicated that these gangs posed a big impediment to education in this region of Nicaragua. After all, gang recruitment leads to school dropouts, which leads to a less educated population that is engaging in more violence. Drug gang recruitment from schools is not only a dangerous problem; it is a vicious cycle! However, SAT students in Nicaragua also believed that education could be used as a means to get these gang members back on track. In fact, a teacher in the community was attempting to rehabilitate gang members through education, with some success, which I think speaks to the power of education and teacher devotion to learning. While I'm not sure that such an initiative would work in El Salvador, where over 20,000 people belong to one of two major gangs in the country, I think it is an important point to consider.

Now, I'd like to move to the matter of teacher extortion in El Salvador. The article touches on the 'protection payments' that teachers have to pay in exchange for their safety, but the article never gets into why teachers are being singled out by these gangs. Moreover, I think that in terms of quality of education, excessive teacher transfers will obviously have a negative impact on student learning. After all, teachers don't want to remain at one school for a long time because they fear extortion, violence and death at the hands of these merciless gangs.

Finally, I want to touch on two points that I found upsetting. The first is the fact that schools have seen parents using their children to sell drugs. I cannot even imagine this experience. Obviously, desperation drives people to do unimaginable things, and this is certainly one of them. Furthermore, the article highlights how the Ministry of Education and the police force of San Salvador were attempting to address the effects of drug and gang violence in schools. One of their methods was sending groups of school children to prisons to scare them into avoiding a life of crime, which was a highly criticized move. This does not seem to me to be an effective strategy to prevent children from entering into this violent but potentially lucrative business. Rather, education can potentially play a key role in keeping students out of gangs and away from the drug trafficking scene. I hope that the Salvadoran government, as well as Ministries of Education across Latin America that are experiencing the affects of the drug trade on education, can begin to investigate education's role in helping to solve this country-wide problem.

Praça do Relógio University of São Paulo
Photograph: Reuters/USP

USP aparece no 'top 100' das melhores universidades do mundo
USP ranks in the 'top 100' university in the world
O Globo
March 15, 2012
Citation: http://tinyurl.com/USPBrasil

The University of São Paulo (USP) ranks among the top 100 higher education institutions in the world according to rankings released March 15, 2012 by the Times Higher Education (THE) based on academic reputation. The result shows an improvement of USP in the rankings. Last year, no Brazilian institution appeared in the top 100 list, which takes into account the reputation of the university among researchers from academia. Harvard University, USA, received the highest score in the rankings released on Thursday. The survey asked academic experts to highlight what they believed to be the strongest universities for teaching and research in their own fields. Harvard scored 100 points. The United States has 44 institutions in the list of top 100. The UK has ten universities in the list. The presence of institutions in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Taiwan in the "top 100" shows the improvement of higher education in Asia. In addition to USP, new to the list are Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and Middle East Technical University, Turkey.

The University of São Paulo made news last October in The Economist for being the only Latin American university listed in the Times Higher Education (THE) world’s top 200 universities ranking.  In this general university ranking USP ranked 178th in 2011-2012, up from the previous 232nd ranking. THE’s most recent publication based on university reputation cited in the O Globo article is based on the largest international survey of academic opinion. Whether it is based on reputation or their international university performance indicators, the USP is climbing up the ranks, but alone. The Economist article puts it bluntly: “Research output [in Latin America] is unimpressive, teaching techniques are old-fashioned and students drop out in droves. These failings matter.” I contend that economic growth has stimulated a greater demand for higher education in the region and it is about time to start assessing them. Private institutions have emerged to meet this demand, but unfortunately, quality assurance is not on the top of their to-do lists. Public universities are not necessary any better; however, USP’s growing recognition could guide the way for others in region. My post on "New Model for Research Partnerships for Latin America" also serves as inspiration for increasing academic excellence in Latin America and cutting ties of intellectual dependency.

The fact that we are depending on an institution based in London to "rank" universities throughout the world is problematic in and of itself.  The Global South depending on the Global North to assess the quality of their own educational institutions is only perpetuating the intellectual dependency models. These institutions - public, private, non-profit should start their own assessments based on their own criteria and emphasize quality. Even in the U.S. the fixation on rankings is overwhelming look at U.S. News & World Report. Higher education worldwide needs to focus more on quality and perhaps everyone can climb the ranks together.  

The "Golden Opportunity" for the South - Foxconn

Employees work on the assembly line at the Foxconn plant in Shenzhen, China.
Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images

China's wage hikes could benefit Americas
The Miami Herald

By Andres Oppenheimer

March 3, 2012
Citation: http://bit.ly/wagehikes

Good news for Latin America: wages in China, Vietnam and other Asian countries are rising faster than expected, leading growing numbers of multinational firms to move their manufacturing plants to Mexico and other countries closer to the U.S. market.

Read more...

According to economists, Chinese salaries are destined to increase for decades to come with the growing appreciation of Chinese currency, higher educations standards, and a declining workforce.  Most multinational companies will keep plants in China to serve the domestic market as well as neighboring countries in Asia, but will move their export-oriented plants to other parts of the world. The author contends: “Either way, Asia’s rising wages present a fabulous opportunity for Latin America.” He argues in order to lure foreign manufacturing plants and to export increasingly sophisticated goods and services to China, Mexico and Central America will have to reduce their violence rates, and all Latin American countries will have to dramatically improve their education systems, which currently lag far behind those of their Asian competitors. He concludes that Latin American countries that take advantage of this golden opportunity will do great in coming decade and they will have Asia’s rising wages to thank.

In order to persuade China to move plants to Latin America, these countries will have to make adjustments to their educational initiatives to develop a workforce capable of providing these “sophisticated” goods and services. I would argue it is too soon to know what these educational adjustments will look like, but not everyone thinks China’s economic involvement in Latin America is a positive according to an article by Univision: “China in Latin America: Should we be worried?” The article points out China’s investment in Latin America has increased 400% during the past decade which creates a new reliance on Chinese commodity demand and China’s state-run companies, and now additional goods and services. This “golden opportunity” sounds more like a dependency model and its affect on education will run deep. Will Mandarin be the second language of the next generation in Brazil? Will vocational studies focus more on technology? Will China take over in the exploitation of Latin American? The Univision article argues this isn’t a “win-win” situation because Chinese companies do not have to follow the same rules as those from the U.S., Europe, or even Latin America leading to general corruption and increases the likelihood of bribery, smuggling, and poor environmental practices. I conclude Latin American should access this opportunity wisely before overhauling educational practices to cater specifically to the Chinese economic demands.  

Puerto Rico and the Loss of Language Rights

Rick Santorum Calls Himself 'Senador Puertorriqueño' In Puerto Rico

The Huffington Post

March 15, 2012
Citation: http://huff.to/santorumPR

 

Rick Santorum is making a splash down in Puerto Rico ahead of the island's Sunday GOP primary.

On Wednesday he told Puerto Ricans that they should make English their primary language if they want statehood, and that evening he said that Pennsylvanians called him "Senador Puertorriqueño" while he was a U.S. senator. Politico has excerpts from a town hall in San Juan.

"I was referred to by many in my state as Senador Puertorriqueño," he said. "They used to make fun of me, ‘Why are you representing Puerto Rico?’ Well, someone has to because they don’t have a voice. I felt a responsibility to the island."

Rick Santorum, the Republican (GOP) candidate nominee in the upcoming U.S. presidential election is visiting Puerto Rico and yesterday publicly claimed that in order for the island to reach statehood it needs to adopt English as its "principal" language. He also states that the bilingual, English and Spanish, system currently in operation will continue to deter Puerto Rico from achieving its "goals". Furthermore he shared during an interview that he was referred to as Senador Puertorriqueño, or the Puerto Rican Senator, as an indication of his apparent alliance with the Latino community. Yesterday the former Senator also sat down with Luis Fortuno, Puerto Rico's governor, who has already endorsed Romney. In regards to a referendum that is up for election November 6th, Santorum recommended that Puerto Ricans vote in favor of statehood, and confirmed that he would not support a state that did not endorse English as the official language. Santorum's statements seem rarely threatening actually. 

We often exclude Puerto Rico from the dialogue surrounding Latin American countries because this Spanish-speaking island is controlled by the United States government -- no doubt a politically charged decision. I think we should not be alarmed by Santorum but concerned about his proposal, which of course is not a new idea but one which tends to sting for Spanish-speakers and Puerto Ricans. As a long-time resident of the state of Pennsylvania, and of voting age and registered for nearly 10 years, I have never heard of Santorum referred to by this name, Senador Puertorriqueño. In regards to enforcing English as the only acceptable language for the proposed state, it should be known that the United States does not have an official language. Decisions regarding the statehood of Puerto Rico should not be determined by English-language policy, or proposition.

This is because the issues are separate, and should remain separate in my opinion, and making the shift from bilingual to monolingualism is a transition heavily affected by development, education and globalization. Development in the sense that the nation has little room to thrive and grow economically in its current world standing. Puerto Rico has but one seat in congress which is not given a vote. It would be wise to propose nationhood for a place that has been continuously robbed and oppressed culturally and linguistically for the last 500 years! Languages hold power and help define who we are as people. With the loss of Spanish in Puerto Rico, what else is lost? With statehood what is gained? How will education be affected and how would such a grandiose shift occur rapidly enough for Puerto Rico to maintain itself? It seems that there is a yearning from the United States to consistently erase any difference between it's borders that could threaten the already-established organizational patterns established to maintain power. We should reconsider the scope of international influence. Through what lens are we, as educators and people interested in development, to view Puerto Rico? I think we might also view Santorum's efforts as a way to speak to other states, since he inevitably must have known he was destined to lose the Puerto Rican vote -- was he not speaking to a difference audience through this English-only message? I think that Puerto Rico will continue to stay dependent on the United States if they move for state hood, and especially if they heed the advice of Santorum in embracing an English-only stance. I doubt that either will happen in the near future.

The Progress of Education in Latin America

Photograph: Manu Dias/AGECOM Bahia

Moving Latin American Education Forward

Latin Business Chronicle

February 15, 2012

By Gabriel Sanchez Zinny
Citation: http://tinyurl.com/7jahvuo

In the last few decades, Latin America has fared poorly in various international educationtesting assessments. The most well-known, the Program for International Student Assessment, administered by the OECD most recently in 2009, only included nine countries in the region, but the results were not encouraging, as these nine participants finished somewhere between 44th and 63rd place, out of 65 countries tested. Chile placed at the top of the region, with Uruguay close behind, but both countries still ranked well below average. However, there are encouraging signs of education reform in Latin America, and they provide a foundation for improving education throughout the region—a daunting but feasible and necessary task.

Article clipped; see link above for full version

Despite the low grades that Latin America has received on international education testing assessments, there has been a surge in funding for education throughout the region. In the past several years, Latin America nations have, individually, spent about $200 billion per year on education and as a region has received more than $5 billion from multi-lateral organizations. Their approach to education has also recently changed. Once focused on school attendance and retainment of students, ministries of education are now concentrating on investing in the quality of schools. Primarily they are beginning to follow the models of their fellow global nations like Singapore, Finland, and South Korea. Studies in these countries have shown that teachers are the essential school based factor that influences achievement rates of students.

As a result of the large amount of funds required to propel these ventures, Latin America have seen a new set of investors join the education scene. Business companies and other organization have stepped up in order to address these educational woes, providing support when public sectors do not have the resources or capital. Organizations like Argentina's EducAr 2050, Mexicanos Primeo, and Brazil's Todos Pela Educacao, are promoting the value of stronger curricula and effective teachers by integrating improved management skills and introducing technology into the classroom. It is the hope of these regional programs and initiatives to not only provide better support to the education system, but to also improve the learning conditions and quality of education for future generations.

When I initially read this article I was skeptical of Latin America's tactics to solve their problems with the quality of education in their respective countries. Immediately their intentions were good, to invest large sums of money in their education system. However their quick reactions only fulfilled their short term goals. When Latin American countries' focus shifted from short term to long term, they refined their approach and found global models that produced the results that they desired. Even then I was wary of their choice to have outside education systems be the model of achievement for their own. The last time I read an article about Latin America modeling other more "developed" nations' education systems, it ended in protesting on the streets in Chile (see my post Hidden Strife within Chile's Education System). However I was pleasantly surprised that, unlike the case of Chile, less government involvement and more private initiative seem to not only support the financial aspects of education reform, but also the personal side of education.

For me this article touched upon many of the same issues and concerns seen in Jaime's post The Case for Local Business Support for Education in Nicaragua. These companies took an interest in promoting education reform not just because it would improve the achievement of students, but that improving the quality of education now could lead to many other long lasting results. The benefits that society could reap from these investments could transcend present time and support the success of future generations. While this article focused more on national organizations rather than local ones, I feel that the concepts are very much similar. This sense of nationalism and pride propelled these organizations to take a calculated risk and invest in the future of their country's education system in hopes that the results generated would indeed produce an overall benefit to society and not just improve one set of achievement statistics.

Breaking Gender Stereotypes in Latin America

Mathematics and Women: Breaking a Vicious Cycle

By Claudia Uribe and Hugo Nopo

Inter-American Development Bank

March 8, 2012

Citation: http://tinyurl.com/7yakjop

All over the world, girls seems to struggle with mathematics and science more than boys, and Latin America is no exception. Studies show that from a young age girls perform below boys on math and science tests, and this gap widens with age. More efforts are needed to understand the causes behind differential performance, how it might relate to observed patterns of gender segregation later in life (particularly in the labor market), and how it can be addressed through education.

(Article clipped, see link for full version)

This article indicates the issues that girls face in math and science learning, and points to how education can help lessen this gap between boys and girls. The article highlights that in some countries like China, girls and boys' performance in math and science is equal; however, recent brain imaging indicates that differences in brain structure and function could allow for different learning patterns in boys and girls. Due to these differences, a variety of education strategies need to be taken into account to provide extra support for girls in math and science education. However, the article also focuses on the gender-based stereotype that girls face ("engineering is for men," "girls hate math"), and how this impacts girls' views of themselves as well as teacher's view of female capabilities. Gender-based preferences in labor also continue into adulthood, where women choose jobs that are either "women's work" or segregate themselves into certain niches (like being nurses instead of doctors). In a 2009 PISA evaluation in Latin America, boys did better than girls in math and science on average, and this gap only increases with age. In order for this challenge to be overcome, stereotypes need to be disbanded, more female math and science teachers are needed, and parenting styles need to be altered.

To preface this post, I'll provide a bit of background on a important concepts: Functionalism, Neo-Marxism, and Feminist Perspectives, which have been creeping into my daily life ever since I became a graduate student here at UPenn. Functionalism basically states that society is a complex system, and everyone does their own part in order for it to function (think a Ford Factory assembly line). Neo-Marxism essentially critiques Functionalism, and addresses how social class unfairly impacts everything. Feminist perspectives, as I understand them (check out the book School and Society by Feinberg and Soltis; I know it's a boring academic read, but trust me, you'll definitely learn something!), address gender-based stereotypes about math and science in the classroom, and assumptions based on gender that occur in the home. First, I want to comment on the section of the article that focuses on the differences of the male and female brain structure and function. I am not disputing science; however, I think that despite the good intention behind including this information in the article (ie: evidence which promotes innovative education strategies for girls), that the information about girls' math and science education in parts of Asia and Europe contradict it. For example, in Singapore, Sweden, and China, girls are on par or perform better than boys in math and science. Instead of focusing on differences that are evident in brain imaging, perhaps we should be focusing on what exactly is occurring in these classrooms and cultures that is positively affecting girls' math and science education.

Next, I want to comment on this issue around gender-based stereotypes for girls in math and science. This article points out that girls perceive math and science as fields dominated by men, and that teachers have a certain perception about girls in math and science. Since fewer girls take part in math and science, sexist assumptions what women are incapable of entering these fields are perpetuated, and this can even affect girl's self-esteem, causing them to underestimate their own abilities for fear of challenging these assumptions which they have internalized. I'm naturally bad at math, and as a child, I definitely played right into this stereotype. But even one of my best friends, who is an engineer, had to contend with these issues for most of her academic life. Given these examples, my question is how can one really alter culturally based stereotypes? After all, machismo is quite prevalent in Latin American culture. In fact, an interesting study was done evaluating how many Latin American men and women agreed with the statement "a woman's place is in the home," (see: http://www.zonalatina.com/Zldata77.htm). The Inter-American Development Bank article suggests that stereotypes can be challenged by using critical examination of gender roles. Based on my research of the SAT program in Nicaragua, I would say that this point does carry some weight. For example, the SAT curriculum, does indeed help men and women confront issues surrounding gender in Latin America. Women in the program have actually sat down with their husbands and asserted themselves, and because of how it is written, the husbands actually understand!

However, as the article indicates, another major problem is that most math and science teachers are men. Therefore, girls don't have many female teacher role models who are strong and proud of their math and science achievements. Given machismo and other cultural aspects that fuel stereotypes, how can girls truly be encouraged to become math and science teachers in Latin America? Finally, the article indicates that part of the problem with gender-based stereotypes lies at home, where traditional attitudes are displayed about women's roles in the household. The article advocates giving children equal roles in the household, but this seems easier said than done.

There is no doubt that this is a serious problem that many girls in Latin America face. I just wonder what can really be done about it.

New Model for Research Partnerships for Latin America

"Border-Crossing Research Lessens the Sting"
The Chronicle of Higher Education
February 23, 2012
By Steven Ambrus | Cuernavaca, Mexico
Citiation: http://bit.ly/Anascorp

Arizona, home to the dangerous bark scorpion, was about to use up the United States’ remaining supplies of scorpion antivenom when University of Arizona scientists traveled south of the border in search of a solution.  Lifesaving antivenom, Anascorp, developed by Mexican researchers is more potent and much safer than the unlicensed one previously produced in Arizona.  Anascorp is the first drug fully developed in Latin America to be approved by the FDA.


The tables are turning in the world of research.  In the article Leslie Boyer, pediatrician and toxicologist, states as a medical student at Harvard the conceit was that Americans invented the drugs and then tested them in the Third World. The development of the drug Anascorp did the exact opposite as it was created in Latin American and later tested in the U.S., reversing the preceding intellectual dependency model.  Arizona residents had the life-threatening problem and relied on Mexican researchers to solve their problem.  This particular research breakthrough changes the power dynamic between Arizona State University researchers and their Mexican counterparts.  The notion that the answers to the world’s most pressing problems will originate in the most “developed” parts of the world is losing traction and this case is one example. The fact that Anascorp is the first drug fully developed in Latin America to be approved by the FDA also provides more credibility to the Mexican researchers and their work.


The implications of the reversal of intellectual dependency might be disconcerting to developed nation’s who have secured their influence and power by providing aid, drugs, ideas, and curriculum to the underdeveloped.  The idea that the Global North might have to begin depending on countries in the Global South to solve their own domestic problems would undoubtedly change foreign policy. Questions of life and death can be at stake in regard to research breakthroughs and development.  Over time more cases like Anascorp could generate negotiating power for countries in the Global South.  In light of their aggressive stance on immigration Arizona should consider changing their ideology of Mexico and Mexicans considering Mexicans are the ones who solved a problem inherent to the state of Arizona. Do Arizonians realize they are now dependent on Mexicans to save their lives?

Local Business Investment in Education in Nicaragua

The Case for Local Business Support for Education in Nicaragua
The Brookings Institution

By Justin W. van Fleet

March 6, 2012
Citation: http://bit.ly/edunica

Given this bleak assessment, the time for the Nicaraguan business community to step up and support the government’s provision of education could not be greater. The business case is simple: investing in education in Nicaragua is an investment in both current and future employees, the safety and stability of the communities where businesses operate, the potential purchasing power of consumers, and a company’s reputation.

The author, Justin W. van Fleet, writes that an investment in childrens' education from inside of Nicaragua is the next important step in supporting the quality of learning. A survey of business leaders, as part of the World Economic Forum, indicates that the current opinion of the “quality of Nicaragua’s primary schools education ranks among the lowest in the world: 134 out of 142.” This extremely low perception definitely screams crisis, and as van Fleet points out, that certainly might have something to do with the fact that public and private donor financing is low.  The author claims that Nicaraguan businesses need to step up and show more support for education in the country by giving economically to projects that promote education. Two companies have stood out as leaders in the private sector in terms of giving back: Telefónica and Plasencia. The former provides technological resources (computers, internet, etc.), professional development programs, with a focus then on teacher development in general. Telefónica Foundation Classroom has a group of participating “marginalized” public schools. They are committed to expanding to more schools, and the latter, Plasencia works in the town of Esteli, in which the company piloted a “full-scale education program for its employees”, and an early education development program for employees’ children. Working with groups like Empresarios por la Educación, Plasencia provides a range of educational support, such as the all important university tuition. While some groups see the need and importance in community development and investing in local education, the author states that without working together as advocates, we won’t see the changes that the country's young population needs. 

There is an opportunity to make a sustainable difference in educational projects in Nicaragua if only more businesses take a larger role in investing. There is a shared social value at stake here that a recent forum demonstrates, as the author points out.  In our blog we have been examining news that relates to international investment, or aid, in education in Latin America. Many of us have an invested interest in Nicaragua and this article was very revealing (albeit short, but informative) in terms of expressing quite clearly not only the dire need for educational reform in the country, but a vital next step in terms of development where companies and businesses step up and start supporting educational initiatives! Although we live in a global era, it seems very little international money has actually trickled down to Nicaragua's education system. This article calls for greater local business involvement in education – an investment, as the author calls it, and an opportunity for both sides to benefit.

This article is particularly touching personally because our project, the Barrio Planta Project, relies strongly on the support of individuals and particularly, Nicaraguan businesses to stay afloat. Sadly, it's a struggle. We'd love to gain sustainability if only more corporations considered investing in local education initiatives. I think this call for a new, reformed, fairer type of aid makes sense. While other countries invest from the OUTSIDE towards the INSIDE of Nicaragua in the hopes of a return, van Fleet calls for a type of investment in development in which Nicaraguans invest in Nicaragua.

World Bank's Early Childhood Initiative

Latin America and the Caribbean: Five Million Will Benefit From Early Childhood Initiative: An Investment for Life

By S. Coward

Caribbean Press Releases

February 28, 2012

Citation: http://tinyurl.com/7hljh3m

Five million mothers, and children ages 0 to 6, are benefiting from World Bank (WB) programs developed throughout the Latin American region, under the Early Childhood Initiative: An investment for Life, the multilateral bank announced today.

After two years of operation, the initiative has approved US$400 million worth of projects, doubling the initial projected funding, and surpassing the original total commitment of US$300 million for the period 2010-2013. It has also expanded the number of targeted children who were able to benefit in the first year of operation.

(Article clipped, see link for full version)

After two years the Early Childhood Initiative, a partnership between the World Bank and Shakira's ALAS Foundation, is finally being launched, with US$400 million worth of funding. This initiative is meant to impact mothers and children aged 0-6 in Latin America and the Caribbean. Early Childhood development, an up and coming topic in development discourse, advocates investing early in order to get higher rates of return down the road, which would impact not only children but larger aspects of society and the economy. The ECI package will include services relating to health, nutrition, education; the Bank will work alongside Latin American governments to use the ECI to reduce inequality for children, and provide vital services to children from ante-natal care until they reach primary school. Each initiative will address concerns specific to each country. For example, initiatives in Argentina will focus on lowering maternal mortality, while the Honduras initiative focuses on nutrition and health in some of the country's poorest communities.

Everyone' favorite organization (or not) and endorser of quantitative research methods, the World Bank teams up with Latin American singer/celebrity Shakira and the Earth Institute to fund the Early Childhood Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean to fight inequity and invest early in children to yield better returns. After a short two years of planning (see the original article from 2010: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT), the ECI is finally ready for launch (I'm still wondering what exactly took it so long to get off the ground, since apparently ECI is SO important). Considering the agenda of the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals- check them out if you're interested!), ECD is now being seen as a "smart investment" because it impacts children now and allows them to also have better lives in the future.

For now, my skepticism will be kept in check because the project advocates unique, context specific projects and initiatives that will address problems in individual countries, rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all solution for the entirety of the region. Context specific initiatives are definitely my cup of tea. This is certainly a step in the right direction. Moreover, I think the initiative will benefit from its collaborative partnerships with different levels of government, NGO's and civil society. The entire project is indicative of increased collaborative efforts to combat poverty and inequality in Latin America. Yet, I am a little critical on Shakira's role in the project; despite her obvious good intentions and her personal motivations as a citizen of the region, I tend to shy away from celebrities in the arena of development, and for good reason I think.

Moreover, both this article and the original article from the World Bank dated February 2010 indicate several specific country initiatives, such as those in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, El Salvador, Bolivia, Belize, Honduras, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. I noticed that Nicaragua, the second poorest country in all Latin America (right after Haiti) failed to make either list. I wonder why this is; I'm sure the initiative will have some impact in Nicaragua, but I was a little surprised that in a place with so much need, especially concerning maternal mortality, poverty, and child development, that a Nicaragua project wasn't specifically highlighted.

Finally, given the current situation in Honduras (see Jaime's post: Peace Corps Pulls Volunteers Out of Honduras), I'm not sure how successful this WB initiative will be. According to the article, "the nutrition and social protection project in Honduras is a community based initiative...the program employs NGOs to train community volunteers who in turn work with local mothers to teach them about proper hygiene." I imagine that finding NGOs that are still operating in what has recently been labeled "the world's deadliest country" will not be easy. After all, may NGOs and international organizations, like the Peace Corps, are pulling out, leaving no one to carry out these initiatives. I am interested in seeing how this particular initiative will be implemented given this developing situation in Honduras.