“In the Education Congress (…) we will discuss comprehensively and sincerely the progress, deficiencies and challenges at all levels of our education,” the President said the day before in his report to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP) on the third anniversary of his arrival in this position.
Arce added in this report that, as a university professor, he wanted to be in this forum to make his diagnosis on education known.
He confirmed that for the first time in history, learning achievement and diagnostic tests will be carried out in primary and secondary schools and that their results will be important elements to be taken into account at the Congress.
“Family education plays a fundamental role in the comprehensive development of our country; Teachers have a very important role in our society and we honor the work of those who have this call to service,” he said.
The Head of State recalled that his Government consolidated the restoration of Bolivians’ right to education following the early closure of the 2020 school year by the de facto government (2019-2020).
In this context, he emphasized the commitment to permanently work to improve the quality of the education system of the plurinational state.
In a television interview in April this year, Arce stressed that the quality of education in Bolivia is far from being a factor in the country’s development.
“Unfortunately, education is at risk, the quality of education is deteriorating, and we must start to stop discussing salary and industry issues, but start talking seriously and absolutely responsibly about the education issue,” the president said in an interview with Non- Stop Nights Square on Cadena A.
The dignitary then pointed out that with the aim of improving the quality of education, the observatory on the subject was transferred from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Planning so that this activity could be a tool for development, growth and opportunities for the country through an assessment of learning success of the students.
In this sense, he expressed that the government welcomes the idea of holding the National Education Congress in 2024, which is the ideal place for the debate on structural issues.
He recommended that, as part of updating the curriculum, in addition to the mother tongue, emphasis should also be placed on quantitative disciplines such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, as well as on the English language, which he said was central to promoting scientific knowledge.
jha/jpm