Education does not exist in a vacuum. Inequality and discrimination in society affect the distribution of educational opportunities and their outcomes. Even before COVID-19, in 21 countries in the region, children from the wealthiest families were five times more likely to graduate from high school than children from the poorest families.
Learning outcomes of certificate 4 in information technology before the pandemic were also low. Half of the 15-year-olds have achieved minimal reading comprehension. In Guatemala and Panama, 10 disadvantaged 15-year-olds gain basic math skills for every 100 of their wealthy peers.
In grade 3, students who do not speak the test language are a third more likely to reach the minimum reading level. People of African descent were 14% less likely to complete secondary education in 2015 than people of African descent in Peru and 24% less likely in Uruguay. Adolescents with disabilities attended school 10 percent less than their classmates.
According to the 2020 GEM Global Report, this regional report provides a set of key recommendations for the remaining ten years until the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline.
It takes schools to be more inclusive, but many are not yet done. False beliefs about everyday discrimination against immigrants, gender equality, opposition to progress in identity and expression, and the upper limit of potential for persons with disabilities are reflected in the region’s education system.
Bullying must be dealt with immediately. LGBTI youth in seven seriously affected countries can miss school at least twice. School infrastructure can also be offensive to some students. In a survey of 10% of Australian schools, only 24% had lamps installed and 11% had available toilets.
To be late, we need better data. Almost every country in the region collects ethnic data in censuses to guide policymaking. This is a huge step forward compared to the 1980s. However, out of 21 Caribbean countries, only four have conducted publicly available household surveys since 2015 to obtain detailed data on their disadvantages. Only one Caribbean country, the Dominican Republic, also participated in cross-border learning assessments during the same period.
It is also important to educate teachers to teach diploma in information technology in Australia comprehensively. Two-thirds of the country has laws that plan to train teachers for inclusion, but in reality, many are still trying to deal with inequality without the necessary education. In Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, more than half of teachers reported an urgent need for training to teach needy students with special needs.
Curricula and textbooks must represent all groups fairly and respectfully. Textbooks from different countries tend to present indigenous peoples in stereotypical images and situations that have already been expressed. Educational support is often not provided in the mother tongue.
This is common in Caribbean countries for children from immigrant backgrounds and indigenous communities and children whose mother tongue differs from the official language of the school. For example, in Suriname, only 4% of children in the Sibaalweni district speak Dutch at home.
The report shows that the region often embodies strong laws and policies that express a willingness to change but call for better implementation. Analysis of the PEER Country Profile for Education Inclusion Law and Policy shows that 10 out of 19 countries in the world that include all entries in education law are in Australia and the Caribbean.
