ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
Inter-American Council for Integral Development
(CIDI)
INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
XIII MEETING OF AUTHORITIES
AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
September 6-7, 2012
José Gustavo Guerrero Room
Washington, D.C.
OEA/Ser.W/XIII.6.13
CIDI/CECIE/doc.6/12
November 9 2012
Original: English
REPORT
XIII MEETING OF AUTHORITIES AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF
THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(Document prepared by the Technical Secretariat)CONTENTS
I.
WELCOME AND GOALS OF THE MEETING . ................................................................... 2
II.
REPORT OF THE TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT, RESULTS OF THE SEVENTH INTERAMERICAN MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION AND REVIEW OF
MANDATES: DECLARATION OF PARAMARIBO ............................................................. 3
III.
1.
2.
3.
PREPARATION OF THE 2012-2014 WORK PLAN OF THE CIE ....................................... 5
Working Group on Teacher Education and Professional Development ................................... 9
Working Group on Early Childhood ......................................................................................... 9
Working Group on the Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and
Practices……………………………………………………………………………….……..10
IV.
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION STRATEGIES AND STATEGIC ALLIANCES TO
SUPPORT THE CIE WORK PLAN ………………………………………………………..11
V.
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL MULTILATERAL FUND OF THE INTER-AMERICAN
COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (FEMCIDI)………………………………12
VI.
PENDING SUBREGIONAL REPRESENTATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF THE CIE …………………………………………………………………………………13
VII.
PREPARATION OF THE SIXTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CIE AND THE VIII
INTER-AMERICAN MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION …………………….13
VIII.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF EDUCATION INITIATIVES THAT ARE OF INTEREST TO
THE REGION ……………………………………………………………………………….14
IX.
CLOSING SESSION
………………………………………………………………………………………………..16
X.
ANNEX
………………………………………………………………………………………………..17
ii
REPORT
XIII MEETING OF AUTHORITIES AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF
THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
The Thirteenth Meeting of Authorities and Executive Committee of the Inter-American Committee
on Education (CIE) was held at OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on September 6-7, 2012.
The following countries attended representing the Authorities of the CIE: Suriname (Chair), Costa
Rica (First Vice Chair), Paraguay (Second Vice Chair); and the Executive Committee: Canada (North
America), Mexico (North America, alternate). In all, delegates from 13 Member States attended
(CIDI/CECIE/doc.5/12).
I.
WELCOME AND GOALS OF THE MEETING
Mr. Jorge Saggiante, Executive Secretary for Integral Development welcomed the
participants to the Meeting. In his opening remarks, Mr. Saggiante referred to the importance of
having clear and concrete lines of action for the work to be carried out by the CIE and its Technical
Secretariat, the Office of Education and Culture, in the next two years. He characterized education as
a driving force for economic, cultural and human development, and as a mechanism to reduce
poverty and inequality and to secure peace throughout the region. He noted the achievements and the
pending challenges for the region, stressing that the OAS fully supports the efforts of Member States
to guarantee a quality education.
Mrs. Shirley Sitaldin, Minister of Education and Community Development of Suriname
and Chair of the CIE, invited the Authorities present to share current topics and relevant initiatives in
their respective countries. Mrs. Sitaldin highlighted the importance of teachers working jointly with
parents and the community for the future of children. She noted the importance of viewing education
as a right, and stated that an important concern of the Suriname government is the quality of
education for indigenous populations and children of African descent, stressing the fundamental
contribution that cultural and ethnic diversity can bring to educational communities. She emphasized
the importance of translating the agreements reached at the VII Inter-American Meeting of Ministers
of Education, celebrated in Suriname in March of 2012, into actions.
Mrs. Oilda Ortega Vera, Vice Minister of Education of Paraguay and Second Vice Chair,
referred to the importance of fostering the autonomy of individuals and their creativity through
education. She noted that Paraguay has achieved 100% coverage in basic education, but is focused on
the need for quality. Other challenges include the need to identify sufficient financial resources for
early childhood education now that a plan is in place; the need to reduce illiteracy; the need to form
qualified human resources with appropriate values; and teacher education and professional
development. She said that there is a lot of pending work to achieve educational and social equity,
stating that the government of Paraguay is working with the hope of improving the living conditions
of Paraguayans.
Mr. Mario Mora, Vice Minister of Education of Costa Rica and First Vice Chair, highlighted
the need to rethink education policy and make it more dynamic. He observed that the CIE could serve
as a space of critical reflection in five strategic areas: (1) equity and access, (2) coverage, (3) quality,
(4) pertinence, and; (5) efficiency.
2







Mrs. Shirley Sitaldin outlined the following goals of the meeting:
To review mandates and other results of the Seventh Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of
Education, held in March 2012 in Paramaribo, Suriname.
To receive a Progress Report on the CIE 2010-2012 Work Plan.
To prepare the CIE Work Plan for the period 2012-2014, with new proposals and decisions on
future themes in the Work Plan.
To consider resource mobilization strategies.
Planning of the Sixth Regular Meeting of the CIE and the Eighth Inter-American Meeting of
Ministers of Education.
To hear a report by the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral
Development (FEMCIDI) on the selection process and financing of projects in the field of
education.
To hold final consultations and designation of pending subregional representations for the
Executive Committee of the CIE.
The schedule of the meeting (CIDI/CECIE/doc.3/12 rev.2) was adopted.
II.
REPORT OF THE TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT, RESULTS OF THE SEVENTH INTERAMERICAN MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION AND REVIEW OF
MANDATES: DECLARATION OF PARAMARIBO
Mrs. Lenore Yaffee-García, Director of the Office of Education and Culture (OEC), which
serves as the Technical Secretariat of the CIE, welcomed the participants and presented a progress
report of the 2010-2012 Work Plan of the CIE (CIDI/CECIE/doc.4/12), focusing on the progress
made in the high-priority areas identified by the education ministers: early childhood education and
care, teacher preparation, development and professionalization, education for democratic citizenship,
secondary education, and quality and equity (educational indicators).
She began her presentation by briefly outlining the efforts made in the 2010-2012 period,
with an overview of mechanisms used across topic areas to promote knowledge sharing and
cooperation across member states, such as online virtual spaces and portals, portfolios of good
practice, online courses and seminars (“webinars”), publications, policy briefs and policy forums, and
technical assistance missions. Her presentation included a report on the current state of the
Resolution 831 “Subfund” for education that was established in 2004 and served as seed funding for
a range of projects in education that responded to mandates of the Ministers of Education or of the
Summits of the Americas. Overall, the US$2,269,112 investment from the subfund mobilized an
estimated US$7,955,935 in overall funding for the initiatives in the CIE Work Plan. She also
acknowledged contributions by member states, foundations and Permanent Observer Missions to
support actions in the CIE work plan, and affirmed that efforts continue to be made to obtain external
funding from Member States, foundations and Permanent Observer Missions. She highlighted recent
achievements including the conclusion of several rounds of technical assistance missions carried out
under a horizontal cooperation model both in the field of Education for Democratic Citizenship and
in the field of Culture. She concluded by requesting that the CIE Authorities use this meeting to
provide additional guidance regarding which programs/projects are particularly relevant to them at
this time, as well as program dissemination strategies and potential partners in the region to provide
mutual reinforcement for efforts being made. To view the complete presentation click on the
document (CIDI/CECIE/INF.4/12).
3
Mr. Martin Huenneke, Specialist of the OAS Summits Secretariat, gave a presentation on the
results and implementation process of the VI Summits of the Americas (CIDI/CECIE/INF.5), which
was held in Cartagena, Colombia in April, 2012. He noted that the objective of the presentation was
to assist delegates in incorporating the recommendations outlined at the Summit in the establishment
of the 2012-2014 work plan.
He highlighted that during the Summit, the delegations agreed on the importance of fostering
participation and collaboration between the public and private sectors, social actors and communities
to promote initiatives to enable educational centers and health facilities, including in remote and rural
areas, to enjoy equitable and affordable access to, and use of, expanded broadband, information and
communication technologies (ICTs), and computers. The Summit agreements also included
promoting and establishing programs to train teachers for the inclusion and effective use of ICTs in
education, and for the production and sharing of relevant educational materials in each country. The
heads of state and government also addressed education under the topic of combating poverty and
inequity, reiterating their commitment to ensure access to quality education for all and highlighting
the importance of comprehensive attention to early childhood.
Mr. Huenneke asked the delegates to comment on how the Summits Secretariat can improve
the visibility of projects and programs that seek to achieve Summit mandates. He mentioned the
importance of the Member States staying informed on educational projects linked to the educational
mandates of the Summit through their national coordinators and Permanent Missions to the OAS.
The delegate of Costa Rica suggested coordinating with the Summits Secretariat on topics of
education for upcoming Summits, saying that it would be very helpful to have the explicit support of
the Heads of State and Government in order to better position topics of educational improvement. He
suggested the consideration of two important topics in the framework of the next Summit: dropout at
the secondary level, and initial teacher preparation.
Mrs. Sitaldin reported on the results of the Seventh Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of
Education and reviewed the mandates from the meeting. She noted that the Seventh Meeting of
Ministers of Education in the Framework of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development
(CIDI) was held in Paramaribo, Suriname, on March 1 and 2, 2012. The theme of the meeting was
“Transforming the Role of the Teacher to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century”.
In Suriname, the Ministers of Education offered the following guidelines for the 2012-2014
Work Plan of the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE) regarding the priority topics of
Teacher Education and Professionalization, Education for Democratic Values and Practices, and
Early Childhood Education.
a.
b.
c.
To develop strategies for the effective construction of a social and political consensus on
educational policies and to expand these policies as policies of State.
To make horizontal cooperation a crosscutting focus of work, creating spaces to allow the
countries to share their policy and reform experiences with each other, making greater
investments in such cooperation, and identifying experiences with significant results.
For the Teacher Education and Professionalization program, led through the Inter-American
Teacher Education Network (ITEN), the delegation of the United States offered financial
4
d.
e.
f.
support to strengthen and expand the capabilities of the network. The delegations expressed
their keen interest in sharing experiences and learning from one another on a broad range of
topics pertinent to teacher policies, including strengthening capacities to use technologies as
pedagogic tools, among others.
For the Early Childhood Education program, whose importance was stressed, the delegations
highlighted the importance of preparation for Early Childhood teachers and caregivers, taking
into consideration diverse contexts and languages.
For the Education for Democratic Values and Practices program, the delegations proposed to
incorporate the participation of schools that promote competencies for democratic citizenship.
Finally, some delegations highlighted the importance of teaching Spanish in the Englishspeaking Caribbean to promote regional integration and collaboration.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Declaration of Paramaribo “Transforming the Role of
the Teacher to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century” was approved. The document:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Emphasizes the responsibility of governments to ensure access to a quality education for all
Ratifies that teachers play a fundamental role in the quality of educational processes and
outcomes
Recognizes the importance of designing and implementing policies that strengthen the teaching
profession
Affirms that it is important for all teachers to have access to quality initial preparation and
continuing professional development
Recognizes the importance of expanding access to ICTs in education at all levels and in all
sectors, particularly as a factor in improving student learning.
Underscores the importance of generating knowledge and exchanging good practices
concerning innovative policies and programs for initial preparation, professional development,
improvement of working conditions, and strengthening the teaching profession, entrusting the
CIE, with the support from its Technical Secretariat, with following up on this issue through
the region’s cooperation mechanisms, including the Inter-American Teacher Education
Network (ITEN), and asking that a meeting be held by May to formalize the CIE Work Plan.
Reaffirms the Hemispheric Commitment to Early Childhood Education, adopted at the Fifth
Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education, held in Cartagena de Indias on November
12-14, 2007, in which Member States committed themselves to increase the coverage of quality
comprehensive early childhood education in each member state in accordance with their unique
circumstances.
The Final Report of the VII Inter-American
Education (CIDI/RME/doc.9/12) was formally adopted.
III.
Meeting
of
Ministers
of
PREPARATION OF THE 2012-2014 WORK PLAN OF THE CIE
The Technical Secretariat of the CIE reported on the progress made on current projects in the
areas identified as high-priority by the Ministers, in order to receive feedback on any needed
modifications or additions for the new Work Plan.
Ms. Michaela Reich, Consultant of the OEC, presented the advances of the Inter-American
Teacher Education Network (ITEN), referring to it as a vibrant online community that provides
access to research, good practices, professional development opportunities, online seminars, and
5
opportunities to share information and opinions with others in the hemisphere who are interested in
issues of teacher policy. For the first time, in 2012 ITEN carried out two webinar series with
certification, one on Innovative Literacy Teaching Techniques in partnership with the International
Reading Association and another on Creating a Culture of Respect in the Classroom with Teachers
Without Borders; and there is another series planned with the World Bank, to share findings from its
education policy project called SABER.
Ms. Reich also referred to the recent launching of the new virtual community of ITEN which
already has over 400 members and provides its members with greater opportunities for collaboration
and interaction. It is currently only available in Spanish, but the English version would be launched in
the following weeks. Among the next activities planned for ITEN is the creation of a Knowledge
Bank, an online database of experiences in teacher preparation and teacher policy that was well
received when announced at the Meeting of Ministers of Education in Suriname. At that meeting, the
U.S. delegation offered financial support for the future development of this initiative and to carry out
technical assistance missions among OAS Member States on teacher policy issues. Ms. Reich invited
Member States to discuss whether the ten teacher policy areas covered in the World Bank SABER
Teachers project could be thought of possible categories for the initial phase of ITEN’s Knowledge
Bank and invited them also to think of other categories not included in the list that were relevant. The
policy areas addressed by SABER are: (1) requirements to enter and remain in teaching; (2) initial
teacher preparation; (3) recruitment and employment; (4) teachers’ workload and autonomy; (5)
professional development; (6) compensation (salary and non-salary benefits); (7) retirement rules and
benefits; (8) monitoring and evaluation of teacher quality; (9) teacher representation and voice; and
(10) school leadership. For further details on the presentation, see document: (CIDI/CECIE/INF.6)
The delegate representing the United States indicated that the SABER topic list offers an
excellent starting point. He proposed the consideration of the following additional issues: teacher
career paths, teacher incentives (aside from financial incentives), and teacher induction. He also
noted that for the United States, teacher recruitment and entry requirements for teaching would be
considered two separate issues.
The delegate of Costa Rica praised ITEN and proposed its fostering and strengthening. He
recommended the consideration of ITEN as a permanent line of work, a forum where both countries
and individual teachers can share their projects. He supported the proposal of the United States to
distinguish recruitment from entry requirements, emphasizing that both issues require attention to
attract the best teachers to the teaching profession. He also highlighted the need to provide spaces for
dialogue among Ministries of Education, universities, and institutions of teacher preparation,
respecting these institutions’ autonomy while promoting coordination.
The delegation of Canada indicated that for his delegation, points 5, 9 and 10 of the SABER
list are of particular importance. He emphasized the importance of viewing schools as learning
communities that work as a team fostering learning, focusing on the student, and encouraging family
participation. He supported the U.S. proposal regarding career paths and teacher leadership.
Mrs. Lenore Yaffee-García, Director of the OEC, indicated that the delegates’ comments
would be extremely helpful in conceptualizing the knowledge bank. She asked for suggestions on
how to ensure ITEN is more widely known and used in the member states.
6
The delegate of Costa Rica stated that the Ministries of Education would be crucial in
making this tool better known among education communities and indicated that the MEP of Costa
Rica was prepared to help disseminate ITEN.
The delegate of Paraguay pointed to initial teacher preparation and preparation in ICTs as
topics of particular interest. She noted that while Paraguay does not have the problem of attracting
individuals to the teaching profession and that while salaries have been increased, quality is still
lacking and all teachers must be given these tools to use ICTs. She indicated that teachers need to be
offered something beyond money as incentives. She emphasized the importance of preparing teachers
in pedagogy and to help students develop values.
The United States’ delegate shared that one topic of interest for the USA is promoting
education reform through collaboration among policymakers, school districts and teacher unions.
The delegate of Chile took the floor to comment that the focus needs to be on the children,
but that teachers are equally important. Chile has implemented major initiatives regarding the initial
preparation of teachers, developing a profile for entry and forging agreement between the Ministry of
Education and the universities. There is an assessment for entry to university in the field of education
and, since Pedagogy is now the only field of study that is completely free, this is an incentive for
those students with the highest scores to enter teaching. Another incentive is a one-week internship
overseas through Scholarships Chile. With regard to ongoing professional development, she referred
to peer evaluation that affects both the teacher’s salary and his/her assignments. Chile proposed to
share these and other experiences – both good and bad -- in the Knowledge Bank.
The delegate of Costa Rica indicated that the new community leads to teamwork, a new way
of thinking and working, building links with “natural counterparts”. The users need to see themselves
reflected in the shared experiences to make it a more worthwhile and reflective community and to
expand its use.
The delegate of Suriname suggested a short-term (two-year) plan of action and requested that
the Knowledge Bank be very interactive to encourage the sharing of experiences. She stated that
every country faces many of the same problems. She emphasized the importance of working together
with universities and other teacher education institutions.
Ms. Romina Kasman, OEC Consultant, took the floor to inform the participants on the
progress of the Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices
(EDUCADEM.) The program aims to develop and strengthen a democratic culture through formal
and non-formal education. Ms. Kasman reported on the Program’s ongoing activities, including the
evaluation of the second round of technical assistance missions in citizenship education, offering new
editions of the online courses for educators on education in democratic citizenship, and new
publications on topics including human rights education and economic and financial education. She
emphasized the Program’s upcoming activities, which include redefining and promoting a
hemispheric discussion on the Program’s future lines of action, promoting policy dialogue among
member states to establish an agenda of priority topics in citizenship education, building a matrix of
experiences in this field, and publishing a portfolio of successful experiences in the use of the arts
and communications media in developing citizenship competencies. For further details on the
presentation, see document: (CIDI/CECIE/INF.7)
7
The delegate of Costa Rica noted that EDUCADEM is a successful program that is currently
trying to redefine itself. He suggested systematizing learning from the Program in apply to other
priority areas. Furthermore, he noted both the importance and the difficulty of teaching education in
democratic values, evaluating citizenship competencies, and incorporating the use of arts and media
in citizenship education, particularly given the weak preparation that teachers generally have in this
area. He suggested capitalizing on the lessons learned from technical assistance missions. He referred
to the central theme of the Costa Rican education reform – Ethics, Aesthetics, and Citizenship, which
is infused through the entire curriculum in order to stimulate critical thought, public presentation
skills, etc.
The delegate of Paraguay suggested that in order for the online courses to have more
participants and for the Program to have a greater reach, the Ministries of Education should
disseminate the Program’s activities more effectively. She referred to the pedagogical aspects of the
courses, the importance of dimensioning education, and the capacity of teachers to develop the
potential of students.
The delegate of Venezuela noted that her country carried out profound reform of its
education system, which previously had excluded many citizens. She referred to the Youth
Orchestras System in relation to the use of arts and media to promote democratic values. She
concluded saying that the information of the Program is very valuable and that it should be
disseminated widely.
Ms. Patricia Quiroz, OEC Specialist, outlined the efforts being made in Early Childhood and
where the initiative currently stands with respect to monitoring follow-up of the Hemispheric
Commitment to Early Childhood Education. She went into detail about activities and events
completed over the past two years and those currently being undertaken. She focused in particular on
the new Childhood Portal, a virtual platform intended to become an interactive tool and serve as a
repository for Early Childhood policies and documents in all OAS Member States. It is set to be
operational by October in Spanish and by November in English, with the assistance and expertise of
the OAS Department of Information and Technology Services. She also discussed the upcoming
meetings on Corporate Social Responsibility and Early Childhood in Cali, Colombia, and the
Hemispheric Network of Legislators and Former Legislators for Early Childhood in Lima, Perú. For
further details on the presentation, see document: (CIDI/CECIE/INF.8)
The delegate of Chile affirmed her support for the Early Childhood initiatives, stating that it
is particularly relevant to the interests and concerns of her country.
Mexico requested that greater detail be provided on the initiatives that have already been
carried out and their results. The Technical Secretariat clarified that all past and current activities on
Early Childhood are regularly published on the OEC website, and that the Childhood Portal will also
contain accurate information in a different, more user-friendly format.
The delegate of Paraguay concurred with the request made by Mexico, stating that although
efforts in Early Childhood are important there has to be a greater understanding on where the
Program currently stands.
The Chair of the meeting invited the delegates to select the method to discuss and prepare the
CIE Work Plan proposal. The options given were to form small working groups according to topic
8
area or to work together as one large group. The delegates opted to divide themselves into small
working groups. Three working groups convened for the remainder of the afternoon, each with the
support of a member of the Technical Secretariat, to discuss the three priority topics: Teacher
Education and Professional Development, Education in Democratic Citizenship, and Early Childhood
Education. The following were the preliminary results as reported by a member of each working
group on the morning of September 7:
1.
Working Group on Teacher Education and Professional Development
The working group that discussed the topic of teacher education and professional
development consisted of the delegations of Canada, Suriname and the United States. The members
of the group jointly reviewed the six activities proposed in the Progress Report on the CIE Work Plan
20120-2012 (CIDI/CECIE/doc.4/12) to be considered for the CIE Work Plan 2012-2014. The
members of the working group agreed that these activities were suitable for the work plan and they
concurred that it would not be necessary at this time to add or eliminate any activity.
Some suggestions made by the group include introducing modifications to the language and
terms used in the work plan. For instance, it was suggested to change the current title “Strengthening
Teacher Education” to one that reflects a broader approach to teacher issues. The title they proposed
is “Enhancing the Teaching Profession”. Additionally, it was suggested that the language should be
reviewed to incorporate terms that are employed in the Declaration of Paramaribo. They also agreed
that the knowledge bank could also be referred to as a policy framework. The importance of keeping
priority areas integrated and having crosscutting themes was also emphasized.
Another recommendation made was that the activities and programs related to the teaching
profession would have an approach of self-conception and avoid taking a top down approach in order
to consider school as learning communities and to reflect a student-centered approach.
Some important topics that were mentioned and that could be incorporated in various ITEN activities
(such as the knowledge bank, webinars, or technical assistance missions) were initiatives to increase
the status of teachers; issues related to management of teachers and teacher unions; the relationship
between teachers and parents; leadership; and teacher representation and making their voices heard.
The possibility of providing certification for the online webinars was welcomed and it was
also recommended that the webinars could qualify as hours of training for the teachers.
In terms of partnerships, the delegates recommended building strong partnerships and promoting
institutional collaboration with leading universities. Also suggested was the promotion of programs
of international mobility in the field of education.
Finally, the delegates referred to the need to closely examine preparation for teaching in
secondary schools. One delegate suggested that the CIE consider how to approach this topic, since
secondary education typically has more than one path, for example, academic, technical vocational,
etc. In other words, to consider how the requirements for teachers in these distinct school programs
differ.
2.
Working Group on Early Childhood
The working group that discussed the topic of Early Childhood consisted of the delegations
of Chile and Venezuela. The members of the group agreed that as part of the implementation of the
9
Hemispheric Commitment to Early Childhood Education, the current activities and initiatives should
be supported and considered for the CIE Work Plan 2012-2014. These are:



The implementation of the OAS Childhood Portal
The initiative to convene a donors meeting to discuss interests and priorities in early
childhood research and programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, hosted by the
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD), in coordination with the OEC/SEDI.
The support provided to actions related to the Corporate Social Responsibility Network
and Hemispheric Network of Legislators for Early Childhood.
Suggestions made by the group included an awareness campaign on the importance of
comprehensive early childhood care. The campaign would target Ministries of Education, Health,
Social Development/Promotion, Women, and those Ministries that are relevant to a comprehensive
approach to Early Childhood education and care. This initiative would be in line with efforts made to
promote comprehensive Early Childhood policies in the Member States. Additionally, the creation of
a knowledge bank was suggested, in order to document good practices in Early Childhood
interventions.
The delegate of Suriname noted that on October 1, 2012, early childhood development
programs will begin in all districts of the interior of Suriname, to attempt to bring coverage to the
Amerindian and Bush Negro populations. In part, these programs will be delivered by radio.
The delegation of Chile suggested a campaign to promote universal Early Childhood
education and care as a responsibility for all Member States. Ms. Yaffee-García noted that this is one
of the mandates of the Hemispheric Commitment to Early Childhood Education and that Member
States are implementing this, as well as other mandates, at their own pace and according to the
realities that each one faces.
The delegate of Costa Rica intervened to stress the need to continue promoting early
stimulation as an important component of comprehensive Early Childhood education and care, in
order to close the gaps in vulnerable sectors and break the cycle of poverty. He also considered that
the emphasis for CIE efforts should be on providing access to information on public policies, as well
as projects implemented, in the various member states.
The delegate of the United States noted that in a recent visit by a delegation from the U.S.
Department of Education to Finland, whose students perform extremely well on international
measures of educational achievement, what seemed to distinguish that country from others, including
the United States, was its strength in delivering education and care for the early childhood period.
3.
Working Group on the Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and
Practices
Delegates of Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, and Paraguay participated in the Education for
Democratic Values and Practices working group. Those involved argued for the need to further
advance activities that allow the OAS, through the Inter-American Program on Education for
Democratic Values and Practices, to support Member States in the development and invigoration of
their programs, policies and initiatives in the field of citizenship education. This support should be
10
carried out through practical activities and mechanisms that strengthen both the participation and
involvement of stakeholders in member states, and the exchange of experiences and lessons learned.
Delegates discussed whether clarifying the term “Education for Democratic Citizenship,” and
agreeing on an overarching definition of citizenship education for all member statess, might help in
developing policy in this field. The delegates did not reach consensus on this point. The InterAmerican Program team mentioned that since the second half of 2011, efforts have been made to
redefine the Program’s conceptual framework and to develop a strategic vision for 2012-2015, as a
means of updating the foundation that frames and provides legitimacy to program actions at a
hemispheric level. In this respect, it was noted that the Program, since its adoption, has worked to
strengthen the institutional capacity of Member States to develop and implement effective policies,
programs and initiatives in this field that respond to their own particular contexts and allow them to
develop citizenship education policies and programs aimed at advancing human development and
creating more democratic and inclusive societies.
After this discussion, the delegates agreed to the formulation of a concrete proposal for the
Inter-American Program, recommending that a virtual, interactive mapping of hemispheric policy
and programs be carried out. This would allow not only for learning about the current state of
citizenship education and identifying challenges and opportunities, but also exploring potential
exchange and collaboration opportunities among countries. Recognizing that work has already been
done on the subject, including a 2008 Inter-American initiative that produced the publication
“Hemispheric Report on National Policies Education for Democratic Citizenship”, it was agreed that
there is a pressing need for a hemispheric project that can be permanently updated and monitored
through the use of technology. Such an endeavor would not only be used by the OAS General
Secretariat, but also by all Member States. Countries’ commitment to support development and
continuous improvement of this initiative would be critical.
With respect to this proposal, the Inter-American Program team indicated that coincidentally
one of the planned activities for the near future was the compilation of a portfolio of policies and
programs related to citizenship education. This activity would update the previously existing
portfolio and encourage various forms of cooperation among countries. The delegates were notified
that they will be contacted during the design of the call for policy, program and initiative proposals to
obtain their input and recommendations.
Finally, the group commented on the increasing relevance of student governments in the
hemisphere, as well as the need to advance initiatives on this topic that allow not only the sharing of
experiences among countries but also the promotion of appropriate evaluations that systematize
outcomes and lessons learned. In this manner, knowledge would be created and fed back into policy
and program development. It was also deemed important to explore financing opportunities that
specifically promote the capacity of Member States to design and carry out the evaluation of policies
and programs.
IV.
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION STRATEGIES AND STRATEGIC ALLIANCES TO
SUPPORT THE CIE WORK PLAN
Mrs. Yaffee-García highlighted that in an era of scarce resources, having limited resources
for the activities of the CIE is a challenge, but it can stimulate creativity, partnership, and
11
focus.Given the role of the OAS as a intergovernmental political forum, the focus of the CIE Work
Plan is to keep education high on the political agenda, and to encourage the sharing of practices and
policies among Member States.
She noted that many of the CIE achievements to date were made possible by the existence of
the so-called “Reserve Subfund” for education projects that implement Summit and Ministerial
mandates (CP/Res. 831), which is almost exhausted at this time. The fund, which had an initial
capital of US$ 2 million, yielded an interest of $248,772 and acted as a seed fund for the following
projects and areas of work: the Regional Education Indicators Project (PRIE), Early Childhood
Education, Adult Literacy, Inter-American Teacher Education Network, and Education for
Democratic Values and Practices. Additionally, the fund provided support to the CIE and Ministerial
processes. This fund incentivized outside contributions and donations by Member States and other
institutional donors and in-kind support from other organizations. For further details, see document
(CIDI/CIE/INF3).
V.
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL MULTILATERAL FUND OF THE INTER-AMERICAN
COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (FEMCIDI).
Vice Minister Mora of Costa Rica chaired this section of the meeting.
Mrs. Monica Villegas, Chief of the Development Policies Section of the Secretariat for
Integral, reported on FEMCIDI’s selection process and project financing in the field of education.
She began her presentation explaining that FEMCIDI is the Multilateral Fund of SEDI which
provides partial financing to special projects in priority areas in Education and other fields related to
the development of the Americas. Over the past two years, the Member States have reformulated the
FEMCIDI process. She informed that, with respect to Education, during the transition phase, the
Ministers of Education recommended the two priority areas to be funded: Early Childhood and
Secondary Education. Projects in Early Childhood education were intended to strengthen the quality
of educational outcomes, particularly for children from vulnerable backgrounds and ethnic groups.
For secondary education, efforts were to focus on increasing the rate of graduation from high school.
She referred to the four project profiles that are currently being considered by the executive board.
She emphasized that FEMCIDI is in a period of transition. She informed the group that the
next window for project proposals and submissions will be in two and a half years and that there will
be an upcoming evaluation of FEMCIDI to make it more simple and dynamic. She indicated that the
upcoming Ministerial Meetings will be a good opportunity to discuss the future topics to be
addressed. Efforts are being made, she said, to reduce the time between defining priority topics and
the presentation of projects. There will be an upcoming meeting with donors to disseminate the
portfolio of FEMCIDI of these experiences and initiatives to Member States and Permanent
Observers, and to find additional partners who may contribute to future initiatives of the CIE and
FEMCIDI. Mrs. Villegas called upon delegates to suggest potential partners, including their own
Ministries of Education, which FEMCIDI could approach for discussing future initiatives.
After responding to a specific project inquiry from the delegate of Panama and a general
question posed by the delegate of Paraguay, Mrs. Villegas explained the FEMCIDI process: projects
are technical evaluation by the CENPES, which its recommendations are forwarded to the
12
Management Board. The Management Board considers and approves the projects and they begin
execution.
VI.
PENDING SUBREGIONAL REPRESENTATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF THE CIE
Mrs. Yaffee-García took the floor to explain that in addition to the elected authorities, the
Executive Committee of the CIE is intended to provide representation to all geographic subregions in
CIE decisions. Executive Committee delegates and alternates for some subregions were decided
during the Meeting of Ministers of Education in Suriname. She noted that nominations for the
Andean and Central American regions remained pending, and it was agreed that those subregions
should hold internal consultations and inform the CIE of their decisions. Also, it was agreed during
the Ministerial Meeting that for the Southern Cone region, Paraguay would serve as the principal
delegate and Uruguay as the alternate. However, following that, Paraguay was elected as Second
Vice Chair, leaving it open for the Southern Cone States to designate another member to the
Executive Committee.
The delegate of Costa Rica proposed for Panama to assume the representation of Primary
Delegate of the Central American region. Following consultations, the delegate of Panama informed
that the Ministry of Education of Panama was pleased to serve as the Executive Committee member
for Central America.
The delegate of Costa Rica thanked the delegation of Panama and offered himself to commit
to leading the discussions in finding and appointing an Alternate Delegate in the quickest manner
possible. He requested that the delegates from the Andean and Southern Cone regions provide an
update on the decision for their subregions. He requested that these decisions be ready to be reported
within one month.
VII.
PREPARATION OF THE SIXTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CIE AND THE VIII
INTER-AMERICAN MEETING OF MINISTERS OF EDUCATION
Ms. Yaffee-García reminded the participants that the Ministers of Education generally meet
in the Inter-American context approximately every two years and that a Ministerial meeting entails a
long preparation process. She mentioned that the last Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of
Education was held in March 2012 and that there had not been yet expressions of interest of Member
States to host the next Ministerial Meeting, which would be approximately in 2014. It is expected that
during the VI Regular Meeting of the CIE, Member States would discuss the theme, the dates, and
the agenda.
Ms. Yaffee-García noted that the OAS Regular Fund assumes the cost of interpreters,
translators, and preparation of documents. Also, the procedure in this case is for Member States to
request funding from CIDI at least a year in advance so that these funds can be programmed into the
regular budget. In addition, Member States that host the Ministerial must assume costs related to
hosting the meeting in a Member State rather than at OAS Headquarters, such as funding,
transportation for interpreters and the Technical Secretariat, and for social and cultural activities that
Member States may wish to offer.
13
She also recommended considering the cycle of the Summits of the Americas; the next
Summits meeting has been planned to be held in 2015 in Panama. She recommended that the
Ministers of Education convene well in advance and agree on priority topics and actions during the
Ministerial process that could be recommended to the Heads of State and Government for their
meeting in the Summits of Americas. In this way, the issues of Education that are considered
priorities by Ministers could be reflected in the agreements reached at the Summits.
Ms. Yaffee-García informed that in order to prepare for the Ministerial Meeting and review
the work plan among all 34 Member States, it is customary to host a meeting of the full CIE and that
the meeting could be held in the first half of 2013. She mentioned that the preparation process is
lengthy and that the Chair needs to request funding from CIDI to hold that meeting, which would
provide funds for a meeting at headquarters. The Technical Secretariat is prepared to work with
Member States to prepare for these two meetings and support them in developing the content for the
agenda.
Finally, she asked the delegates if they had any instructions and indicated that once the host
of the Ministerial is defined, this country can lead efforts to define the meeting’s central theme,
which must be agreed upon by the member states.
The delegate of Costa Rica intervened to request delegates to initiate discussions with
authorities in their respective countries to gauge their interest in offering to host the upcoming
Ministerial Meeting, and to gain further insight regarding their interests in defining the central theme.
He proposed the preparation of a timetable.
Mrs. Yaffee-García affirmed that there is not a fixed schedule for these consultations but,
given the need to plan in advance and give prior notice, she suggested that in the case of the CIE
meeting, consultations regarding dates and location be held in a period of 45 days. For the Ministerial
Meeting, consultations must be concluded before the next CIE meeting.
VIII. ANNOUNCEMENT OF EDUCATION INITIATIVES THAT ARE OF INTEREST TO THE
REGION
Minister Sitaldin of Suriname resumed the chairing of the meeting.
Juana Román, Consultant of the Office of Scholarships, Training, and Capacity
Strengthening (DHDEC/SEDI) began her presentation on the topics of Training and Capacity
Strengthening and Innovation in Education by emphasizing the importance of the scholarship
program to the region. She highlighted the “100,000 Strong in the Americas” project being executed
with the US Department of State to increase the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America
to 100,000 and vice versa.
The delegate of Chile inquired whether there has ever been a study of the impact of the
program on scholarship recipients, stressing that this could provide greater information on the
program and would help disseminate the efforts being made by the OAS. Ms. Roman agreed on the
value that an impact study could have, but also cautioning about its possible expense. She also
informed the group that a scholarships report for 2012 is being prepared which includes information
on areas of interest and designation of scholarships according to areas of study.
14
The delegate of Mexico stated that a database or some type of instrument would prove to be
important to show the impact of such a program. Ms. Roman informed that such a platform already
exists, reminding the participants of the network of former scholarship recipients that permits them to
make contact with one another and disseminate information.
Mr. Cesar Parga, Chief of Section of the Department of Economic Development, Trade and
Tourism gave a presentation on the topics of Competitiveness and Science and Technology within the
OAS. Mr. Parga referred to the political processes and the joint actions that were developed after the
III Inter-American Meeting of Ministers and Highest Authorities of Science and Technology. He
mentioned that there is a “2025 Vision” for Science and Technology that identifies priorities for
action. He referred to the importance of increasing the number and quality of graduates in Science
and Technology, updating curriculums in order to have scientists and engineers of the highest quality
possible, and promoting exchanges in the region. For further details, see document:
(CIDI/CECIE/INF.9)
Mr. Parga referred to the importance of political dialogue and exchange between countries on
the topic of competitiveness. He mentioned the Inter-American Network on Competitiveness and the
Santo Domingo Process, in which 30 countries of the Americas had agreed on ten general principles
of competitiveness, collaboration and cooperation in the Americas. He noted that there are two
principles related to education, one related to the relevance and quality of education and another
related to the development of human capital. He said that there is a work plan for the ten principles,
where best practices are promoted and technical assistance is provided. For further details, see
document: (CIDI/CECIE/INF.10)
Mrs. Rosine M. Plank-Brumback gave a presentation on the initial findings of the Global
Talent 2021 Study, which analyzed the current and future demand for global talent. She noted that
SEDI participated in the steering committee of the project, contributing to the scope of a study that
involved 352 multinational firms and 46 countries, 10 of which were OAS Member States. She said
that the study intends to reveal a geography of talent and that Latin America will experience a 13%
increase in demand for skilled labor. She elaborated on this predicted impact, saying that the region
will experience growth in finance, transportation, and heavy manufacturing. Ms. Plank-Brumback
mentioned that new skill-sets will be needed, such as digital skills, the ability to work in virtual
formats and to analyze multiple scenarios, and interpersonal and communication skills. For further
details, see document: (CIDI/CECIE/INF.11)
The delegate of Costa Rica intervened to say that policy creation would entail a dialogue
among the Ministries of Education, Science and Technology, Tourism, and International Commerce.
He mentioned the importance of working with the business sector and noted that matching supply
and demand of skills is never an easy process.
The delegate of Chile congratulated Ms. Plank-Brumback for the presentation and
highlighted the importance of having relevant education to promote talent. She inquired about the
fact, as presented in the study, that Chile would have a talent deficit and asked to know more about
the study and obtain the contact information of researchers.
Ms. Yaffee-Garcia alerted delegates to the timetables for two major international assessments
of student achievement, which can be very valuable not only to assess student progress but also to see
15
contextual factors associated with good or unsatisfactory results, and to build local expertise in
assessments and education statistics. The International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) sponsored by
the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) is administered
every five years and examines achievement in reading comprehension of children from different
backgrounds after four years of primary schooling. She shared that this project will carry out a new
assessment in 2016 and is currently enrolling countries and identifying country technical teams. She
encouraged Member States to contact IEA, which is based in the Netherlands, if they are interested in
participating in this study.
Ms. Yaffee-García also informed that the next International Civic and Citizenship Education
Study will take place approximately in 2018, possibly along with a second round of the Latin
American module administered in 2009 through the Regional System for the Evaluation and
Development of Citizenship Competencies (SREDECC), also sponsored by the International
Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). In the last round, the OAS and
SREDECC, with partial funding from the IDB, jointly organized a seminar in Guayaquil in 2010 to
examine the results of this assessment and what they imply for the region. This assessment is on an 810 year cycle and the next round is in the very early planning stages.
Mr. Jaime Solano, OEC Consultant, reported on the results of the II Regional Forum of the
Armando Paz Project, beginning his presentation by sharing a video on the project. This USAIDfunded project, carried out in five countries of Central America (El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua,
Panama and Guatemala), was executed by three areas of the OAS: the Secretariat of
Multidimensional Security, the Office of Education and Culture of the SEDI, and the Trust for the
Americas. The project objective was to strengthen the capacity of young people and public-, privatesector, and civil society organizations to work together to prevent violence, crime and drug abuse in
their communities. Mr. Solano commented that the project mobilized more than 10,000 individuals
and 125 institutions both through the social networks and blogs and through forums and capacitybuilding workshops.
IX. CLOSING SESSION
Mrs. Sitaldin closed the meeting by thanking all of the delegates for their participation and
the Technical Secretariat for its support. She observed that the ideas and proposals generated during
the meeting would contribute greatly to strengthening the role and effectiveness of the CIE. She
declared the meeting adjourned at 1:00 p.m.
16
X. ANNEX
COMISIÓN INTERAMERICANA DE EDUCACIÓN
XIII REUNIÓN DE AUTORIDADES
Y COMITÉ EJECUTIVO
6 y 7 de septiembre, 2012
Washington D.C.
OEA/Ser.W/XIII.6.13
CIDI/CECIE/doc.1/12
9 noviembre 2012
Original: Textual
LISTA DE DOCUMENTOS REGISTRADOS
Número del documento
Título 1/
Idioma 2/
CIDI/CECIE/doc.1/12
CIDI03723
Lista de Documentos
Textual
CIDI/CECIE/doc.2/12 rev.1
CIDI03762
Proyecto de Temario
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/doc.3/12 rev.2
CIDI03767
Proyecto de Calendario
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/doc.4/12
CIDI03768
Informe de Progreso del Plan de Trabajo de la CIE 20102012
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/doc.5/12
CIDI03822
Lista de Participantes/ List of Participants
CIDI/CECIE/doc.6/12
CIDI03871
Report of the XIII Meeting of Authorities and Executive
Committee on Education
Español
English
Intereses, solicitudes y ofrecimientos temáticos de los
Estados Miembros expresados durante la VII Reunión
Interamericana de Ministros de Educación
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.2 /12
CIDI03761
Los compromisos asumidos y la solicitud hecha por los
Estados Miembros a través de la Declaración de
Paramaribo
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.3 /12
Report on the Reserve Sub-Fund. Statement of Changes in
Textual
Informativos
CIDI/CECIE/INF.1 /12
CIDI03756
1.
2.
TEXTUAL
Título registrado en el idioma original.
E = español, I = inglés, F = francés, P = portugués
17
Número del documento
CIDI03766
Título 1/
Fund Balance
Idioma 2/
CIDI/CECIE/INF.4 /12
CIDI03805
Presentation by Ms. Lenore Yaffee Garcia, Director of the
Office of Education and Culture of the OAS on: “Progress
Report of the 2010-2012 Work Plan of the CIE”
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.5 /12
CIDI03806
Presentation by Mr. Martin Huenneke, Specialist of the
OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat on: “The Sixth
Summits of the Americas: Results and Implementation”.
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.6 /12
CIDI03807
Presentación de la Srta. Michaela Reich, Consultora de la
Oficina de Educación y Cultura sobre: “Red
Interamericana de Educación Docente”
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.7/12
CIDI03808
Presentación de la Sra. Romina Kasman, Consultora de la
Oficina de Educación y Cultura sobre: “Informe de
Progreso del Programa Interamericano de Educación en
Valores y Prácticas Democráticas”
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.8/12
CIDI03818
Presentación de la Sra. Patricia Quiroz, Especialista de la
Oficina de Educación y Cultura sobre: “Informe de
Progreso realizado en Proyectos de Primera Infancia”
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.9/12
CIDI03819
Presentation by Mr. César Pargas, Chief of the Office of
Competitiveness of the Department of Economic
Development, Trade and Tourism on: “Science and
Technology”
Español
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.10/12
CIDI03820
Presentation by Mr. César Pargas, Chief of the Office of
Competitiveness of the Department of Economic
Development, Trade and Tourism on: “Competitivenes”
English
CIDI/CECIE/INF.11/12
CIDI03821
Presentation by Ms. Rosine Plank-Brumback, Senior
Specialist of the Department of Economic Development,
Trade and Tourism on: “Global Talent”
English
Referencia
18
Número del documento
CIDI/RME/DEC.1/12
Título 1/
Declaración de Paramaribo
Idioma 2/
Español
English
Français
Português
CIDI/CIE/doc.5/10
Plan de Trabajo 2010-2012 de la Comisión Interamericana
de Educación (CIE)
Español
Inglés
Português
Francés
CIDI/RME/doc.9/12
Informe de la Séptima Reunión Interamericana de Español
Ministros de Educación
English
Français
Português
CIDI03871E01
19