Table Of ContentDOCUMENT RESUME
ED 371 982
SO 023 896
AUTHOR
Tedesco, J. C.
TITLE
Education, Culture, and Development: Co-ordinated
Policies and Strategies. The Situation in Latin
America and the Caribbean.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
INSTITUTION
Organization, Santiago (Chile). Regional Office for
Education in Latin America and the Caribbean.
REPORT NO
ED/BIE/CONFINTED-43/Inf.17
PUB DATE
92
NOTE
14p.; Paper presented at the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
International Conference on Education (43rd Session,
Geneva, Switzerland, September 14-19, 1992).
AVAILABLE FROM
International Bureau of Education, C. P. 199, 1211
Geneva 20, Switzerland.
PUB TYPE
Speeches/Conference Papers (150)
Reports
Descriptive (141)
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MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Change Strategies; *Culture; *Economic Development;
Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries;
Higher Education; *Role of Education
*Caribbean; *Latin America
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This document is a brief presentation of the relation
among education, culture, and development in the Latin American and
Caribbean countries that focuses on two major aspects:
(1) the new
development strategies currently being implemented in the region, and
(2) the educational actions being undertaken as an answer to the new
challenges posed by the new development strategies. The Latin
American and Caribbean countries have initiated a significant process
of change within their social and economic development's strategies.
These new trends recognize that traditional strategies of development
were based on three main factors: (1) the income of natural
(2) the external debt; and (3) the internal financial
resources;
imbalance associated with high inflation taxes. Within this
framework, Latin America's peculiarity lies on the fact that some
countries attained economic growth while others achieved somewhat
minimal equity levels, yet none fulfilled both the expected
objectives of the development process simultaneously: growth and
equity. Within the context of a development pattern based on the
aforementioned factors, education's performance was only slightly
connected with the demands of economic growth (due to the minimal use
of technical progress as a production factor) and with the political
or social integration requirements (because incorporation of the
population in their capacity as citizens was weak and recurrently
influenced by lengthy periods of authoritarianism and political
exclusion). Curriculum innovations include decentialization,
extension of participation to those outside the system, and new
teaching methods. Obstacles to educational improvement are language
differences and objections to conceiving the intercultural dimension
as including the entire school population. (Author/DK)
ED/BIE/CONFINTED 43/Inf.17
Geneva, August 1992
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL,
SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION
43rd session
International Conference Centre, Geneva
14-19 September 1992
CONTRIBUTION OF EDUCATION TO CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
"Education, culture and development:
co-ordinated policies and strategies.
The situation in Latin America and the Caribbean"
by
J.C. Tedesco
Director
Regional Office of Education for
Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC)
U.S. DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATION
Othce of Educahonal Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
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"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE
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MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED
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TO THE EDUCATIONAL
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC).-
2
Introduction
between education,
of the relation
This brief presentation
1.
American and Caribbean
in the Latin
culture and devalopment
two major aspects:
countries will fricus on
being
currently
strategies
development
zew
the
region, and
implemented in the
an answer to
actions being undertaken as
the educational
development
new
the
by
posed
challenges
thenew
strategies.
strategies
The development
countries have initiated a
and Caribbean
The Latin American
2.
economic
their social and
change within
significant process of
that
recognize
trends
new
These
strategies.
development's
three main
development were based on
traditional strategies of
external debt and
resources, the
the income of natural
factors:
inflation
associated with high
financial imbalance
the internal
peculiarity lies on
Latin America's
Within this framework,
taxes.
growth while others
countries attained economic
the fact that some
both
yet none fulfilled
minimal equity levels,
achieved somewhat
simultaneously:
process
objectives of the development
the expected
growth and equity
1/.
based on the
development pattern
Within the context of a
3.
only slightly
education's performance was
aforementioned factors,
minimal
growth (due to the
demands of economic
connected with the
with the
production factor) and
progress as a
use of technical
(because incorporation
integration requirements
political or social
citizens was weak and
in their capacity as
of the population
and
of authoritarianism
by lengthy periods
recurrently influenced
to the reinforcement
This process gave rise
political exclusion).
terms of coverage
educational provision in
of a greatly expanded
the standpoint
evident weaknesses from
which, notwithstanding, had
mechanisms 2/
institutional management
of quality and of
this
of the
8(15,
70s and beginning
of the
At the end
4.
During the
exhaustion.
clear signs of
development pattern showed
the
took place both from
major internal change
decade of the 80s a
point of
From the political
standpoint.
political and economic
to democracy were
consolidation or of transition
view, processes of
culture of the
depolarized and the
promoted, political debate was
America
en
Industrialización
Fajnzylber.
l.
Fernando
Santiago,
al casillero vacio.
Latina: de la "caja negra"
1989.
Cuadernos de la CEPAL,
estiaos de
Educacián, participacift y
German W. Rama.
2
Buenos Aires, Kapelusz,
Latina.
desarrollo en America
1984.
3
2
Withih the economic
broadened.
consensus and concerted action was
of
the external debt by means
sphere, commitment was made to serve
implying adoption of
in the trade balance,
a substantial surplus
the
in
incorporation
strengthening
at
aimed
strategies
The competitiveness
exports.
international market by increasing
of a
integration was ensured by means
needed to attain this
of
instead
competitiveness")
("spurious
wages
in
reduction
incorporation of technical progress,
supporting itself on the
("authentic competitiveness")
increase in productivity and wages
3/.
perceive the problem of the
Short-tern estimates tended to
5.
the
of
and not as the exhaustion
circumstantial
as
crisis
expenditure was
In this context, education
development pattern.
its strategic
protected dae to
a factor to be
not seen as
items
substantive and affected crucial
importance. Reductions were
educational
of
equality
quality and
of
from the
standpoint
reduction of public
The combined impact of the
provision 4/
-which weakened the
expenditure in education and of real wages
education costs and to
capacity of low income families to cover
educational provision- seriously
take advantage of the existing
situation as well as the
deteriorated the population's educational
concerning
the public sector
of
management capacity
general
education programmes 5/
reached during the 80s was a
The level of deterioration
6.
generalized
sufficient to explain the
necessary condition yet not
exhaustion of the traditional
acceptance of the hypothesis on the
Latin
educational development in
pattern of socio-economic and
raised and
This hypothesis,
America and Caribbean countries.
elaborated by international
discussed in several recent documents
La tarea
Transformacift productive con equidad.
3
CEPAL.
Caribe
Latina y
prioritaria del desarrollo de America
Santiago de Chile, marzo de 1990.
en los afts noventa.
de la
Dueda externa y financiamiento
4
Fernando Reimers.
OREALC/UNESCO,
Su impacto en Latinoamérica.
educacift.
Id. "EducaciOn para todos en
Santiago de Chile, 1991.
Los desaflos de la
America Latina en el siglo XXI.
de Jomtien", in
estabilización, el ajuste y los mandatos
de
Principal
Proyecto
del
Boletin
OREALC/UNESCO.
Educación, No. 23, diciembre de 1990.
"Necesidades de Educacift Básica en
Luis Ratinoff.
de la Reforma-de ia
America Latina y prioridad politica
Boletin del
in OREALC/UNESCO.
Educación Primaria",
No. 28, agosto de 1992.
Proyecto Principal de Educación.
3
of a new
the formulation
6/, is associated with
which the
cooperation bodies
in
development
social
and
economic
for
clearly
proposal
more
be
pattern may
traditional
the
of
exhaustion
appreciated.
rapidly
growth are being
concerning economic
The new ideas
depolarization of the
7.
context of
America, within a
spread in Latin
From
social polarization.
yet of increasing
political debate and
contribution to
of the region's
the peculiarity
this perspective,
emphasis placed on
has been the
social development
the debate on
the problem
face simultaneously
economic policies to
the need for
"integrated approach",
In this
equity.
of social
of growth and
economic
external factor of
not conceived as an
social equity is
significant
has
whose performance
a variable
growth but as
into
if not taken
which,
institutional effects
productive and
nature of
ensuring the sustained
explaining and
account, unables
7/.
economic growth
the processes of
and
enabling articulation
is the variable
Technical progress
Growth
and equity.
8.
objectives of growth
compatibility of the
support
to
continuing
implies
progress
technical
of
without
the depredation
reduction in wages and
competitiveness through a
economy
of internacional
However, analyses
natural resources.
of
unable to ensure processes
these factors are
perspectives reveal
is
(i) low cost manpower
to two main reasons:
sustained growth due
economic
of
elucidation
the
in
less
increasingly
an
weighing
are becoming
demands
environmental
(ii)
productivity and
of the integration
factor in the processes
increasingly important
market.
in the international
sustainability without
equity and environmental
In turn,
as it
9.
cannot be achieved,
also goals which
technical progress are
bringing about a
growth, thus
restraining economic
would imply
and
extent of development
incompatible with the
level of isolation
of the
by the majority
presently attained
social expectations
region.
countries of the
to production_implies
technical progress
Incorporation of
fields,
10.
actions in various
and deliberate
undertaking sys.ematic
the
However,
of education.
is precisely that
one of which
the fact
lies in emphasizing
this discussion
important issue in
education places the
technical progress and
that the link between
not merely on
of education and
of the quality
problem in the ambit
contribution of
For an effective
of study.
the coverage or years
eje de la
conocimiento:
Educación y
6
CEPAL/UNESCO.
Santiago de
con equidad.
transformación productiva
Chile, 1992.
un enfoque
Productiva:
Equidad y Transformaciem
'7
CEPAL.
Santiago de Chile, 1992.
integrado.
5
.4
education to technical progress, in the context of the current
scientific-technical revolution, there is need for it to produce
with
learning achievements in terms of knowledge, skills or values
These new
employment.
a view to meeting society's demands for
relationship
approaches radically change the way in which the
Hence, it does
between education and society are conceived
8/.
educational
not involve present day education or some kind of
Implementation of new development patterns, therefore,
provision.
specifically
requires defining strategies of educational change
Although in Latin
aimed at the quality of learning achievement.
not
America and the Caribbean this new way of thinking
is
countries
homogeneous, we already find that a significant group of
change
educational
of
strategies
implementing
started
has
patterns.
elaborated within the framework of the new development
Following is an attempt at assessing these new lines of change,
focusing information on curriculum innovations in basic education
literacy.
and on actions related to non-formal education and adult
Curriculum innovations and teaching-learning techniques
of
Several countries in Latin America have initiated processes
11.
However, evaluation of the experiences
curriculum change 9/
carried out in past decades has proven that they have by a very
in the
weak impact on actual pedagogical practices which take place
income
of
students
low,
serving
those
especially
classroom,
The present curriculum innovations are associated with
families.
institutional changes. In this respect, the countries of the region
promoting
by
organization models
are modifying their
school
decentralization, greater autonomy of the institutions and by
strengthening, at the central level, capacities to measure learning
The hypothesis fostering
achievement and compensate differences.
and
these changes is based on the fact that decentralization
greater school autonomy will reinforce the link between school
culture and social culture as well as the levels of accountability.
Another important innovation in the strategies of curriculum
12.
change is that of extending participation of the external actors of
the system in defining curriculum proposals. Traditional models of
8
The Work of Nations, New York, A.A. Knopf,
Robert Reich.
Barcelona,
Alvin Toffler, El cambio del poder.
1991.
André Gorz, Méthamorphose du
Plaza y Janés Ed., 1990.
Travail, Paris, Ed. Galilee, 1988.
9
For the Mexican case, see CONALTE perfiles del desempeno
For
- SEP s/f.
fundamentales
Obietivos
see
Chilean
the
case,
contenidos minimos de la ensehanza general basica v-de-la
Propuesta, Ley Organica Constitucional
enserlanza media.
de Educacift, marzo, 1992.
5
definition of the
responsibility for the
curriculum design placed
teachers, political,
within the system:
curriculum in the actors
educational
authorities. Further, an
administrative and scientific
for social performance
meeting learning needs
proposal aimed at
who may convey the
incorporating new actors,
involves the need for
itself.
apparatus
school
the
to
demands
social
external
actors in the
incorporation of these external
Methodologies for the
preliminary
in
a
still
are
design
curriculum
of
process
visible great interest
However, there is a
implementation phase.
community
and
political
entrepreneurs,
of
participation
and
curriculum
in the debates on new
unions, etc.
leaders, labour
trends.
is the change
dimension of curriculum reform
Another important
13.
meeting of
In the last
teaching methodologies.
undergone by the
Project in Education
Committee of the Major
the Intergovernmental
the
that
recognized
Education
of
Ministers
IV),
(PROMEDLAC
1°/ and efforts
had exhausted itself
traditional frontal model
modalities to overcome
it.
in search of
have been initiated
entire population,
enable access of the
Expansion of education to
the groups entering
heterogeneous nature of
has made evident the
flexibility of traditional
and the lack of
the education systems
Lack of
needs.
adequately meet educational
educational methods to
geographic,
linguistic, age, cultural,
efficient responses to the
levels of reading
plurality results in low
economic and social
great
repetition and, consequently,
comprehension, high rates of
becomes a real
Thus, the problem of access
disparity in ages.
greater
successful teaching encounters
vicious circle as, in turn,
This
highly heterogeneous.
difficulties when the group
is
participation and
pre-training for school
disparity in ages, in the
is of special
in a comprehensive way
in the capacity to read
Given that problems are
first grades.
importance during the
a serious
sectors,
lower income social
perceived mainly among
inequity which, in
time in relation to
situation arises at the same
social
a political or
problems of
generates additional
turn,
nature.
in -primary
detected
problems
the
facing
are
Countries
14.
and decrees
both by means of laws
education with much creativity,
Innovative
and experiences
11/.
and by carrying out surveys
in teaching-
in curriculum design and
elements have been introduced
of the region.
than half the countries
learning techniques in more
Reunion del Comité Regional
10
UNESCO, Informe Final, Cuarta
Principal en la esfera de
.
Intergubernarnental del Proyecto
Latin y el
Quito,
Caribe,
EducaciOn en America
la
20.
Ecuador, 22-25 abril 1991, pg.
un
en
educaciOn
de
la
Mejoramiento
11
UNESCO/OREALC,
Principal de
Boletin del Proyecto
contexto de crisis, in
1991.
EducaciOn, No. 26, diciembre
6
preparing entry to primary
Important efforts have been made in:
and of
of scientific thought
education; teaching of reading,
learning; team
citizen values; bilingual education; personalized
learning situations by means of
work and generation of stimulating
qualification to proceed
modules that include elements to evaluate
most
should be
placed,
Emphasis
to the
following module.
experiences with a view to
especially, on the importance of these
to enable, eventually,
developing efficient multigrade schools
This type of school is
providing universal basic education.
complete basic education
essential in order to provide high quality
Furthermore, this training
in regions with dispersed populations.
for the incorporation in
modality provides realistic preparation
the productive world of work.
development has predominated in
An integral approach to child
15.
and
Techniques
enrolment.
primary
for
preparation
the
and community level
methodologies focused on the child's needs
applied in pre-primary
activities are starting to be increasingly
education has
However, this progress in pre-primary
courses.
(with the
primary programmes
produced an ever growing gap in
significantly improved the
exception of some countries that have
of the "Escuela
quality of primary education, such as in the case
Renewed emphasis on the issue of
Nueva" Programme in Colombia).
doubt, contribute towards
the quality of primary education will, no
solving this problem.
increase in the number of
In recent years, there has been an
16.
adequate
most
the
concerning
experimentation
and
research
writing, given the
methodologies for the teaching of reading and
these skills and school
close relationship between acquisition of
countries snecial
12/
In English-speaking Caribbean
success
of ri Ading
levels
the
improve
made
to
been
have
efforts
In other instances, manuals
comprehension and standard English.
made available 13/.
suggesting ways to improve teaching have been
everyday activities
Likewise, programmes on textbooks to foster
materials and
(especially reading) have been implemented or new
primer ciclo escolar:
12
N. Elichiry, Alfabetización en el
See also,
dilemas y alternativas, UNESCO-OREALC, 1991.
Reunion sobre Lecto-escritura como
"Informe final.
PICPEMCE, Ciudad de Mexico,
factor de fracaso escolar".
16-18 de octubre de 1989.
A. Silva and S.
13
E. Ferreiro, A. Pelicier, B. Rodriguez,
lengua
Haceres, quehaceres y deshaceres con la
Vernon,
Rincón, SEP,
escrita en la escuela rural, Libros del
Mexico, 1991.
7
tested 14/.
the local context have been
methods better adapted to
donation to schools
been launched for the
In Mexico a campaign has
replaced by micro-
of typewriters -now
by private enterprises
using the
learn to read and write
computers- so that children may
reading
promoted remedial
Some countries have
keyboard 15/.
aimed
combined with efforts
in marginal areas,
programs, especially
have previously
self-confidence in students who
at stimulating
of
link between the teaching
On occasions, a closer
failed 16/.
in primary
arithmetic has been promoted
reading and writing and
community
and
literacy
adult
between
as
well
as
schools
solution to the
providing an integrated
development, aiming at
problem.
attitudes,
initiating children on
success achieved in
The
17.
has proved of special
of scientific thought
processes and methods
demands
relation with economic sector
interest, mainly due to their
placed, on
experiences emphasis has been
In some of those
17/.
containing
texts
and
self-learning modules
with
work,
team
phenomena,
observation of
of
sequences
leading to
questions
principles
confrontation with scientific
description and writing,
Implementation of
to other situations.
and evaluation applied
later visited
demonstrative schools that are
these experiences in
they show the
been very successful, as
by other teachers, has
the
scientific thought in spite of
feasibility of teaching within a
in "school
The use of newspapers
available.
very limited resources
to enable
organized in such a way as
panels" classified and
of an
in a similar way to the use
recuperating the information,
Small classroom and
successful.
encyclopedia, has proved very
additional work,
students to undertake
school libraries, enabling
countries,
several
In
task.
personal
have stimulated their
olympics
scientific or mathematic
scientific fairs and exhibitions,
be facilitated
problems whose solution may
and debates on community
organized.
science or technology have been
by means of the use of
Unidad de Publicaciones de
Coleccift Libros del Rincón,
14
see also,
Pftlica, Mexico.
la secretaria de Educaciem
del Instructor Comunitario,
Dialogar y Descubrir. Manual
Educativo, Mexico, 1989.
Consejo Nacional de Fomento
Seminario Regional sobre
Ferreiro, Presentacift en
15
E.
satisfacción de necesidades
Estrategias de acción para la
abril, 1992.
básicas de aprendizaje, UNESCO-OREALC,
in
quality of primary schools
16
Programme to improve the
The Major Project
Chilean experience.
poor areas. A
29-40.
Bulletin, NQ 27, April 1992, pp.
eje de la
Educacift y Comocimiento:
17
CEPAL-UNESCO,
equidad, Santiago, Chile,
transformación productiva con
1992.
9
8
reveal the
Concurrently with this progress, several countries
18.
adequate
difficulty encountered in defining and implementing an
cognitive
level of creativity and
science curriculum at the
only
the
is
which
basic primary
education,
of
development
than half the
opportunity for systematic learning provided to more
science is
In certain countries
young people of the region.
for the limited
still considered as a beneficial activity only
scientific or technical
number of students who are planning on
envisaging science
In those cases there is need for
careers.
education as a whole or
teaching as a clear social function within
scientific
at providing the student a
as a training modality aimed
in harmony with the
culture and a method to acquire knowledge
clarify why (and
It seems there is urgent need to
modern world.
based on the demands and
how) to teach science in basic education,
well as on a growing
existing availabilities in each country as
world of work.
relationship of general educatiol with the
significant percentage of
In almost all Member States having a
19.
Bilingual
indigenous population, new modalities of Intercultural
There is deeper
18/
Education has been developed and tested
and heterogeneous linguistic and
awareness concerning the complex
region, the importance of
cultural reality of many countries of the
essential tool for the progress
the mother tongue and culture as an
populations to
the need for the indigenous
of education and,
This has given rise to the
marginality.
overcome their present
Departments of
establishment of National Programmes or General
Bolivia, Peru,
Bilingual Education in countries such as Ecuador,
have
Even though some of these programmes
Guatemala and Mexico.
encouraging results, it is
already been executed with positive and
and to duly
important to observe development of the new programmes
information on which
evaluate them in order to obtain the necessary
In any case, the
strategies.
to base formulation of appropriate
an
and
longstanding application
with
project evaluations,
a
have revealed
acceptable level of technical and financial inputs,
school achievement and
that bilingual education improve the student
culture elements
that the introduction in the curriculum of local
positive bearing on the
produces greatr motivation, thus having a
and permanent
reduction of repetition, absenteeism and temporary
drop-out.
obstacles
in
major
three
are
there
Notwithstanding,
20.
national
the
within
modality
educational
this
implementing
meticulous
education systems, compelling governments to carry out
intercultural bilingual
development and a gradual generalization of
non-
introducing
difficulty
in
there
is
First,
education.
standardized vernacular tongues in a formal pedagogical process.
indigenous tongue
The second is the existence of varieties of each
determine geographic
that compels undertaking field research to
Latina, in
18
La educación intercultural bilingae en America
Perspectivas, No. 75 20(3), UNESCO, Paris, 1990.
10
