Reforming Primary and Secondary Education : An IDB Strategy

Abstract

This Strategy (GN-2067-3) summarizes what is known about how to improve primary and secondary education in Latin America and the Caribbean and provides a set of objectives and strategies to guide the IDB in its support of primary and secondary education over the next decade. The paper defines five critical areas of reform--making teachers partners in reform, providing more and better textbooks and teaching materials, selectively supporting the use of technology in education, decentralizing educational management and increasing accountability of key stakeholders, and strengthening early childhood education and development. It also summarizes the new challenges facing secondary education in the region, namely, to meet increasing quantitative and qualitative needs while at the same time serving a more diverse clientele. This report sets out the information and management tools needed to meet long-term goals and confirms the fundamental importance of engaging in a long-term and consensual reform process.