The 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study left a picture of the harsh impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on students aged 15 to 16 in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, the extent of the impact is still being assessed and remediation plans appear to be in their infancy. This is the opinion of the Chilean industrial engineer and coordinator of the Latin American Laboratory for the Assessment of the Quality of Education of UNESCO (LLECE-Unesco), Carlos Henriquez, who notes that there are no uniform recipes to address the deficiencies caused by school closures and the introduction of distance learning . But yes, he says, there are good experiences within the region that could counteract the loss of well-being and learning, particularly among primary school students.
Instead of focusing our attention on models like the Finnish or other European ones, Henríquez assures EL PAÍS that the focus should be on educational centers that have made progress despite complex environments: “We should learn what they do and scale certain policies .” .” She believes the region could emerge from the stagnation it has been in for a decade if progress is made in correcting inequalities in education systems and if best practices based on evidence-based evidence are established.
Questions. How do you read the 2022 PISA report on Latin America?
Answer. It was not as catastrophic as predicted because it appears that education systems were resilient due to the overall efforts made. Although we have a big task ahead of us, because one in two students measured in PISA 2022 in Latin America does not have basic reading skills and, on average, three out of four have math skills.
Q How much has the pandemic threatened the quality of education in the region?
R. Students in schools in Latin America and the Caribbean, aware of their heterogeneity, find themselves in spaces not only of learning but also of well-being – linked to nutrition, health and care – and in this sense they were at risk. The problem is that there has been a stagnation in the learning agenda since 2013, which is not related to the pandemic but rather related to a decline in the quality of education in the region.
Q PISA 2022 evaluates 15-year-old students, but one of the groups most affected by the pandemic are children in the early stages of school.
R. The LLECE laboratory's presentation, based on the national evaluations of the states, states that there was a loss of well-being and learning, especially among the youngest children; which is reflected more strongly in mathematics than in language. On the other hand, the difficulty these students have in getting in touch with others is striking. They are young children, and it is important not only for them to learn how to write or basic operations, but also how to interact with their classmates, solve problems, play and communicate. These were the biggest difficulties schools faced in 2022.
The PISA surveys provide information on school completion and skills for the world of work, which is important; But information about elementary and early years is essential so that school systems can not only review what happened but also take action to improve it. The results of the regional comparative and explanatory study point in this direction (ERCE) 2025, by LLECE-Unesco, in the region will also be a contribution to improvement.
Q How long can the effects of the pandemic on students last?
R. There are simulations that suggest this effect would last even until these students entered the workforce. Only these results invite us to conduct evidence-based analyzes and be cautious. Apparently Latin American systems were resilient, there was support and families played a role. But it is very premature to say what impact (the pandemic) has had, although it is important that this information provides evidence to provide more support, make decisions and hopefully invest more.
Q You mention that Latin American systems are more resilient. What do you attribute it to?
R. You have to investigate it. The PISA study shows that, unlike developed countries, the region – with mediocre and lagging education systems – did not experience such large losses, or at least several countries did not lose as predicted. One of my hypotheses is that family played a big role in this. I believe there has been a commitment from family and school relationships and networks to counteract the effects of the pandemic. On the other hand, there are studies that may be more meaningful for medium and low-performing education systems in our region. Some reports indicate that studies in the context of the regional curriculum, such as the ERCE (Unesco Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study), provide a higher level of information at all performance levels, even lower ones.
Q There is constant talk about the educational deficits in Latin America. Why weren't they reversed?
R. A lot has been done and progress has been made in the countries. Comparing the years 2000, 2010 and 2020, there are efforts in the vast majority of nations. But if you see a diagnosis, you can say that investments in Latin America are inadequate. OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries invest three times more per student than the regional average. I'm not even saying it doesn't work, but the investments need to be higher to get good results. What is required are social pacts that prioritize education as a driver of development in our society, make more evidence-based investments and make education policy applicable to all schools.
Q What common elements can countries in the region apply to improve student performance?
R. All countries have different contexts. In the 2019 ERCE study we found elements that explain that the weight of the socio-economic group to which the student belongs is very important in correlating with the results and therefore more active measures are needed to address these inequalities. In this sense, teachers need to be supported with more effective strategies to know where each student is in their learning journey and then provide specific support to help each student progress in their learning process. There must be recovery plans in place in all countries so that this becomes a great agreement and crusade in 2024 in each of the countries, which can hopefully enable governments to allocate more resources, involve civil society and take action to support students left behind need more support.
Q Moderate economic growth is expected in Latin America until 2024. What impact will this have on improvements in the education system?
R. The call of UNESCO Santiago and its LLECE Laboratory is to make greater and relevant efforts to accelerate recovery and prioritize education transformation. We understand that it is difficult to make improvements, but it is important that this is a priority at the level of societies and not just at the level of governments. Ideally, it is necessary to increase investment in education and improve its use in order to have an impact on everyday actions. In this sense, investments in professional development, teacher support, evidence-based strategies to promote core competencies in elementary school, and opportunities to provide feedback on learning are steps toward paving a path to improvement. Latin America must and can make education its great engine of social mobility, and this requires the contribution and priority of everyone.