EDUCACION PARA TODOS SIN MAS DILACIONES
EN AMERICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE

En 1978, los gobiernos de América Latina y el Caribe, convocados por la UNESCO, y reunidos en México, acordaron organizar y lanzar (Quito, 1981) un Proyecto Principal de Educación para América Latina y el Caribe con las siguientes metas para el año 2000:

1.   Asegurar la escolarización a todos los niños y niñas en edad escolar y ofrecerles una educación general mínima de 8 a 10 años.

2.   Eliminar el analfabetismo antes de fin de siglo y desarrollar y ampliar los servicios educativos para los adultos.

3. Mejorar la calidad y la eficiencia de los sistemas educativos a través de las reformas necesarias.

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En 1990, nuestros gobiernos y cuatro agencias internacionales – UNESCO, UNICEF, PNUD y BANCO MUNDIAL- se comprometieron en Jomtien, Tailandia, a proveer educación básica para todos para el año 2000, con las siguientes metas:

1.   Acceso universal a la educación primaria.
2.   Reducción de la tasa de analfabetismo adulto a la mitad de la tasa en 1990.
3.   Expandir los programas de desarrollo infantil.
4.   Mejorar resultados de aprendizaje asegurando al menos el 80% de los aprendizajes esenciales.
5.   Ampliar los servicios de educación básica y capacitación para jóvenes y adultos.
6.   Diseminar información relevante entre la población a través de diversos medios a fin de contribuir a mejorar la calidad de su vida.

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En 1994, los gobiernos del continente (a excepción de Cuba), convocados por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos, se reunieron en Miami, en la Cumbre de Miami o I Cumbre de las Américas, y acordaron, entre otros, un Plan de Acceso Universal a la Educación, con las siguientes metas para el año 2010:

1.   Acceso universal a una educación primaria de calidad, con una tasa de terminación de 100%.
2.   Acceso para por lo menos el 75% de los jóvenes a la educación secundaria.
3.   Eliminación del analfabetismo.
4.   Capacitación técnica y profesional de los trabajadores y del magisterio en particular.
5.   Aumentar el acceso y fortalecer la calidad de la educación superior.
6.   Estrategias para superar las deficiencias nutricionales de los alumnos.
7.   Descentralización escolar con financiamiento adecuado y participación de padres de familia, docentes, líderes comunitarios y funcionarios gubernamentales.
8.   Revisar y actualizar los programas de capacitación existentes.
9.   Crear una asociación hemisférica a fin de contar con un foro de consulta de gobiernos, ONGs, empresarios, donantes y organismos internacionales, para reformar las políticas y orientar más eficientemente los recursos.
10. Instar a la Cumbre Mundial para el Desarrollo Social (1995) y a la IV Conferencia Mundial sobre la Mujer (1995) a que aborden la cuestión del acceso universal a la educación.  

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En el año 2000, nuestros gobiernos y las mismas agencias que impulsaron la conferencia de Educación para Todos en Jomtien, se dieron cita en Dakar, Senegal, evaluaron los resultados de la década y se comprometieron a renovar los compromisos y extender hasta el 2015 el plazo para cumplir las metas:

1. Expandir y mejorar el cuidado infantil y la educación inicial integrales, especialmente para los niños y niñas más vulnerables y en desventaja.

2. Asegurar que para el 2015 todos los niños y niñas, especialmente en circunstancias difíciles, tengan acceso y completen una educación primaria gratuita, obligatoria y de buena calidad.

3. Asegurar la satisfacción de las necesidades de aprendizaje de jóvenes y adultos a través del acceso equitativo a programas apropiados de aprendizaje de habilidades para la vida y para la ciudadanía.

4. Mejorar en un 50% los niveles de alfabetización de adultos para el 2015, especialmente entre las mujeres, y lograr acceso equitativo a la educación básica y permanente para todas las personas adultas.

5. Eliminar las disparidades de género en educación primaria y secundaria para el 2005, y lograr la equidad de géneros para el 2015, en particular asegurando a las niñas acceso pleno a una educación básica de calidad y rendimientos escolares en igualdad de condiciones.

6. Mejorar todos los aspectos de la calidad de la educación y asegurar la excelencia, de modo que todos logren resultados de aprendizaje reconocibles y medibles, especialmente en relación a la alfabetización, el cálculo y las habilidades esenciales para la vida.

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Desde la Declaración de México (1978) y la Declaración de Quito (1981) han pasado más de dos décadas. Las iniciativas internacionales y nacionales se mutiplican, los compromisos se reiteran y las metas continúan postergándose.

No más metas postergadas.
No más iniciativas en paralelo.
EDUCACION PARA TODOS SIN MAS DILACIONES.

COMUNIDAD DE FIRMANTES DEL PRONUNCIAMIENTO LATINOAMERICANO POR UNA EDUCACION PARA TODOS.
Abril 2002.
Más de tres mil firmantes, más de 1 millón de miembros.
www.fronesis.org/prolat.htm
www.observatorio.org

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II GLOBAL WEEK ON EDUCATION FOR ALL (22-26 APRIL 2002)

EDUCATION FOR ALL WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY
IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

In 1978, Latin American and Caribbean governments, convened by UNESCO, met in Mexico and agreed to organize and launch in 2001, in Quito, the Major Project of Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the following goals for the year 2000:

 1.   Guarantee access to school to all school-age children and offer them a general education of a minimum of 8 to 10 years.
2.   Eliminate illiteracy and broaden and develop adult education services.
3. Improve the quality and efficiency of education system by carrying out the necessary reforms.

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In 1990, Latin American governments and four international agencies – UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP and The World Bank- met in Jomtien, Thailand, and committed themselves to provide basic education for all by the year 2000, with the following goals:

 1.   Expansion of early childhood care and development activities, including family and community interventions, especially for poor, disadvantaged and disabled children.
2.   Universal access to, and completion of, primary education (or whatever higher level of education is considered as “basic”) by the year 2000.
3.   Improvement in learning achievement such that an agreed percentage of an appropriate age cohort (e.g. 80% 14 year-olds) attains or surpasses a defined level of necessary learning achievement.
4.   Reduction in the adult illiteracy rate (the appropriate age cohort to be determined in each country) to, say, one-half its 1990 level by the year 2000, with sufficient emphasis on female literacy to significantly reduce the current disparity between the male and female illiteracy rates.
5.   Expansion of provision of basic education and training in other essential skills required by youth and adults, with programme effectiveness assessed in terms of behavioral changes and impacts on health, employment and productivity.
6.   Increased acquisition by individuals and families of the knowledge, skills and values required for better living and sound and sustainable development, made available through all educational channels including the mass media, other forms of modern and traditional communication, and social action, with effectiveness assessed in terms of behavioral change.

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In 1994, governments of the continent (except for Cuba), were invited by the United States government to the Miami Summit (I Summit of the Americas). Here, they agreed among others to carry out a Plan called Universal Access to Education, with the following goals for 2010:

1.   Guarantee universal access to quality primary education, working with public and private sectors and non-governmental actors, and with the support of multinational institutions. In particular, governments will seek to attain by the year 2010 a primary completion rate of 100 per cent and a secondary enrolment rate of at least 75 per cent.
2.     Prepare programs to eradicate illiteracy, prevent truancy and improve human resources training.
3.     Promote, with the support of international financial institutions and the private sector, worker professional training as well as adult education, incorporating efforts to make such education more relevant to the needs of the market and employers.
4.      Improve human resources training, and technical, professional and teacher training, which are vital for the enhancement of quality and equity of education within the Hemisphere.
5.     Increase access to and strengthen the quality of higher education and promote cooperation among such institutions in producing the scientific and technological knowledge that is necessary for sustainable development.
6.     Support strategies to overcome nutritional deficiencies of primary school children in order to enhance their learning ability.
7.     Support decentralization including assurance of adequate financing and broad participation by parents, educators, community leaders and government officials in education decision-making.
8.     Review existing regional and hemispheric training programs and make them more responsive to current needs.
9.     Create a hemispheric partnership, working through existing organizations, to provide a consultative forum for governments, non-governmental actors, the business community, donors, and international organizations to reform educational policies and focus resources more efficiently.
10. Urge the March 1995 World Summit for Social Development and the September 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women to address the issue of universal access to education.

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 In 2000, our governments and the same agencies that promoted the Education for All Conference in Jomtien, met in Dakar, Senegal, evaluated the results of the decade and decided to renovate the commitments and extend the deadline until 2015 in order to accomplish the following EFA goals:

1.  Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

2. Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality.

3. Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes.

4. Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.

5. Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.

6. Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

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Over two decades have passed since the Mexico Declaration (1978) and the Quito Declaration (1981). International and national initiatives have multiplied, commitments have been reiterated, and goals have been postponed.

No more postponed goals.
No more parallel initiatives.
EDUCATION FOR ALL WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY.

COMMUNITY OF SIGNERS OF THE LATIN AMERICAN STATEMENT FOR EDUCATION FOR ALL.
April 2002.
Over 3,000 signers, over 1 million members.
www.fronesis.org/prolat.htm
www.observatorio.org