Dominican Republic, Chile, OEI and other organizations call for more funds for education in Latin America

The Diplomat The governments of the Dominican Republic and Chile, together with important multilateral organizations, have made an urgent call in New York, in the framework of the 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations and the Summit of the Future, to increase funding dedicated to education in Latin America and the Caribbean. The call to action, supported by UNICEF, UNESCO, ECLAC, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE) and the Varkey Foundation, urges to invest now so that countries can achieve Sustainable Development Goal four, which seeks to guarantee inclusive, equitable and quality education. “Education is the engine of development and the key to transforming our societies; that is why, in the Dominican Republic, we are determined to make schools the center of development and public policies, where the future of our nation is forged,” said Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic. “We invite all sectors of society to join this effort. It is a commitment that we must assume together to ensure that education is, in essence, the pillar of equitable and sustainable development in our region,” he added. For his part, Nicolás Cataldo, Minister of Education of Chile, stated that, “as co-presidents of the High-Level Steering Committee of SDG 4, we believe it is essential to participate and promote instances such as these to amplify the decisions taken at the global and regional level in educational matters. Reflecting on the enabling conditions for educational processes, and, above all, sustainable financing, is crucial to move from commitment to action and, with this, materialize the fulfillment of the goals of SDG 4.” In Latin America and the Caribbean, 75 percent of students in the region do not achieve basic skills in mathematics and 50 percent do not achieve them in reading. The limited fulfillment of the right to education in the region has deepened in recent years due to prolonged crises, the impact of multiple emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and persistent inequalities. Although countries have made notable efforts to reach the minimum agreed financing for education, at least four percent of GDP and 15 percent of total public spending, the sustainability of financing remains a challenge and the region is lagging behind. Today, on average, countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) invest per student about five times more than the Latin American and Caribbean average. For this reason, the Dominican Republic and Chile, together with the coalition of multilateral organizations, urge all governments in the region, international cooperation, civil society and the private sector to ensure the enabling conditions and adequate and sustainable financing in education, with equity and efficiency.

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