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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):

GEM Report urges Latin America & Caribbean to promote inclusion

in education during COVID-19

SANTIAGO, CHILE/PARIS, uphold matters. Everyday migrated to Spanish or
FRANCE — A new GEM Re- discrimination against mi- English-speaking countries,
gional report in partnership grants, backlashes against and children whose moth-
with SUMMA shows that progress for gender equal- er tongue is different from
COVID-19 has increased ity, identity and expression, the official language of the
education divides in Latin and false beliefs about the school, as is typically the
America and the Caribbe- ceiling of potential for peo- case in Caribbean coun-
an, which was already the ple with disabilities end up tries. In Suriname, for ex-
most unequal region in the reflected in education sys- ample, only 4% of children
world before the pandemic tems. Change is urgently in Sipaliwini district speak
began. Although the re- needed, but it won’t hap- the language of instruction,
port acknowledges the ef- pen unless we all sign up.” Dutch, at home.
forts made by countries to
continue distance learning Better data is needed on The Report shows that the
programmes, it points to those left behind. In the Ca- region is often an example
the need to develop urgent ribbean, only 4 of 21 coun- of strong laws and poli-
measures to reach those tries have had a publicly cies that express a will for
left behind. Its recommen- available household survey change, but calls for these
dations show steps policy since 2015 to disaggregate to be more adequately im-
makers most prioritise in education indicators by plemented. The analysis of
their response plans so that individual characteristics. the PEER educational pro-
the education emergency The Dominican Republic files of each country in the
does not turn into a disas- was the only country in the world from the GEM Report
ter. Caribbean to participate on Inclusion shows that 10
in a cross-national learning of the 19 countries in the
The Report, Todos y todas basic mathematics skills for only characterized by low assessment in the same pe- world that adopt inclusion
sin excepción, produced every 100 of their better-off quality, but also by high riod. for all in their educational
by the Global Education peers. Indigenous people levels of inequality and so- laws are in Latin America
Monitoring (GEM) Report and Afro-descendants also cial exclusion. This problem Training teachers to teach and the Caribbean. How-
and the Regional Bureau have lower attainment and has been exacerbated by inclusively is also critical. ever, although the laws in
for Education in Latin literacy rates. the pandemic. For this rea- In Brazil, Colombia and only 42% of the countries in
America and the Carib- son, we must urgently invest Mexico over half of teach- the region provide for the
bean (OREALC/UNESCO In grade 3, students who and reform our education ers reported a high need education of persons with
Santiago), along with the do not speak the language systems to develop their for training on teaching stu- disabilities in separate set-
Laboratory of Education, of the test are less likely to capacity to adapt to the dents with special needs. tings, not many ordinary
Research and Innovation reach a minimum level particular needs of their stu- Claudia Uribe, Director of primary schools serve stu-
in Latin America and the of proficiency in reading. dents and territories, recog- OREALC/UNESCO Santiago dents with disabilities. In
Caribbean (SUMMA) shows The probability of Afro- nizing, valuing and building said: “There is the expec- Nicaragua, for example, a
that, prior to the pandem- descendants completing on diversity, as an essential tation that teachers have third of the approximately
ic, in 21 countries, children secondary education was and constitutive element of strategies to compensate 10,000 students with dis-
from the richest households 14% lower than that of non- educational quality”. for these disadvantages, abilities studied in special
were five times as likely as Afro-descendants in Peru but it is difficult to do so if schools in 2019. In countries
the poorest to complete and 24% lower in Uruguay The report includes a set they do not have the tools such as Trinidad and To-
upper secondary school. in 2015. Adolescents with of key recommenda- and training to do so. Two- bago, among others, regu-
disabilities were on aver- tions for the next decade, thirds of countries say they lations have not yet been
Learning outcomes were age 10 percentage points which will help countries will train teachers on inclu- established to guarantee
low before COVID-19. less likely to attend school achieve the objectives of sion in the region, but data the right to education of
Only half of 15-year-olds than their peers. the 2030 Agenda and calls indicates that this is not yet refugee boys and girls and
achieved minimum pro- for schools to be more in- the case in practice. Our migrants from Venezuela,
ficiency in reading. In According to Javier clusive, which many still Report urges countries to which has led national and
Guatemala and Panama, González, Director at SUM- are not. A survey of 10% of pay greater attention to international civil society
barely 10 disadvantaged MA: “The education sys- schools in Jamaica showed this”. actors to work together to
15-year-old students master tems in the region are not only 24% had ramps and meet their needs.
11% had accessible bath- Curricula and textbooks The Report has ten rec-
rooms. Bullying urgently must represent all groups ommendations in total,
needs to be addressed: are fairly, and respect- backed up with evidence
LGBTI youth in seven coun- fully. Textbooks in various based examples from
tries being heavily victim- countries tend to present across the region and in-
ized were at least two times indigenous peoples in ste- vites countries to take them
as likely to miss school. reotyped images and situ- into account in their plans
ations, when they are rep- for action in the decade
Manos Antoninis, Director resented at all. Educational for action until 2030 and to
of the GEM Report, said: support is often not provid- prevent education prog-
“Now more than ever Latin ed in the home language, ress backsliding as a result
American societies need affecting children from of COVID-19. For more in-
to come together as a so- indigenous communities, formation go to website:
ciety and build bridges. children and young people https://en.unesco.org/fiel-
What all of us think and of Haitian origin who have doffice/santiago. q