Staying in school and learning math and science are fundamental steps toward excelling in life. Math and science help children use logic and become independent thinkers. Children who learn to think for themselves can solve real-world problems. They will be mentally fit for tomorrow’s world. Yet, the results of the 2009 test of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that Latin American students are running behind their peers in the most developed countries in both math and science. Things are improving, but not fast enough. If the growth rates of the past decade are maintained, it will take Latin America 21 years to achieve the OECD’s average PISA score in math, and 42 years in science.

To mark the World Science Day 2011, the Bank invites educators and policy makers throughout the region to join in promoting inquiry-based approaches for math and science that focus on conceptual understanding rather than rote memorization, on hands-on experiments rather than copying problems from the backboard, and on independent thinking rather than repetition of procedures. In a special edition of the Education´s Division newsletter we present evidence-based numeracy approaches piloted by education ministries in several countries with support from the IDB.