Uruguay will improve access and quality of education with the support of a US$40 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The project aims to increase the rates of permanence and graduation in basic and higher secondary education by accompanying students with greater difficulties or who have disengaged from the educational system. It also seeks to improve the quality of the educational offer, updating the curricula to prioritize the core content, cross-reflect the development of skills, incorporate a vision of climate change, gender and diversity, and include the use of digital tools.
The program focuses on three pillars: improving the quality of the educational offer; transforming of management, processes, and systems; and the financing of new green infrastructure for academic improvement.
Uruguay faced the challenge of emergency remote teaching due to the pandemic in better conditions than other countries in the region, thanks to its previous progress in digital educational transformation. However, in Uruguay, as in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, educational exclusion will worsen due to high dropout rates. Estimates predict an increase of 17%, equivalent to 4 thousand young people between 6-17 years old who will not return to the classroom after the pandemic, affecting mainly the poor sectors and the vulnerable middle class.
The initiative seeks to increase the percentage of young people between the ages of 15 and 17 who attend some educational offer, and the graduation from Basic Secondary Education for 16-year-olds and from Upper Secondary Education for 19-year-olds. Also, the project expects to support teachers and families of high school students in protecting their educational trajectories through innovative early warning, accompaniment, and school reinforcement systems.
The project aligns with the priorities of the IDB's "Vision 2025" in terms of gender, digitization, and climate change, to achieve the recovery and inclusive growth of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The $40 million loan has a 5-year disbursement period, a 6-year grace period, and an interest rate based on LIBOR.
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance, and training to public- and private-sector clients throughout the region.
Lobera,Jose Luis
Turner, Taos Lee
Perez Alfaro,Marcelo A.