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In a context marked by deep educational inequalities and learning setbacks, representatives from the ministries of education of more than 30 countries in the region, along with teachers and students, civil society, and international organizations, came together to participate in the meeting of the Regional Steering Committee for SDG 4 – Education 2030. The meeting, held on May 19, was co-chaired by Nicolás Cataldo Astorga, Minister of Education of Chile, Paula Alves de Souza, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Brazil to UNESCO and Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago. 

During the session, participants assessed the progress and challenges faced by Latin America and the Caribbean on the path toward inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all by 2030. 

According to latest data, the region is experiencing a critical phase. Global and regional educational assessments, along with national standardized tests, show a sustained decline in Reading and Mathematics results. 

The pandemic also had a negative impact on school attendance at all levels, with pre-primary education being the most affected, experiencing a significant drop in participation among young children. However, in 2022, a partial recovery was observed at the primary and secondary education levels.  

Despite some positive signs, enormous challenges remain. Around 9.6 million children are still out of school, and one in three young people does not complete secondary education. The gaps are even deeper among indigenous students and other historically excluded groups. Additionally, the region needs 3.2 million teachers, most of whom are required to replace those leaving the profession due to workload stress, low salaries, and a lack of recognition. 

“In an international context marked by new challenges, it is increasingly important to join efforts and multiply the benefits of learning from each other. The Regional Steering Committee shows a Latin American and Caribbean educational community committed to transformation for the sake of learning, well-being, and the development of our children, youth, and adults, because learning accompanies us throughout all stages of life. Now more than ever, it is urgent to place education at the centre of national public policies and regional cooperation,” said Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago. 

Paula Alves de Souza, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Brazil to UNESCO, emphasized that “the Regional Steering Committee for SDG 4 plays a key role. This is where we can build a cooperation framework that coordinates common priorities —such as sustainable financing, teacher training, and education for sustainable development, among others— and strengthen public policies that respond to our shared realities and challenges.” 

At the event, the Minister of Education of Chile, Nicolás Cataldo Astorga, informed those present that the World Summit on Teachers will be held on August 28 and 29 in Santiago de Chile. Its objective is to address the global challenge of teacher shortages and to advocate for sustained support and efforts for the teaching workforce in a challenging political, economic, and social context. 

“This context calls on us to act with determination, cooperation, and political vision. The summit aims to confront this reality by placing teachers at the centre, promoting international cooperation, and putting forward concrete proposals to address the shortage of qualified teachers. We want to elevate the debate on the teaching profession to the highest level of international decision-making, to send a clear message that countries can and must act —even in contexts of fiscal constraints— to prioritize the teaching profession with a vision for the future”, said Minister Cataldo. 

During the session, key advances and documents for educational cooperation were presented. Mami Umayahara, Programme Specialist at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, along with Valtencir Mendes, Chief of Education at the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, contextualized the global and regional commitments adopted in the Ministerial Declarations of Fortaleza and Santiago, respectively. 

Additionally, Alejandro Vera, Education Programme Specialist at UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago and Mariana Huepe Follert, Social Affairs Officer at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, presented the “Framework for Educational Transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean” and the document “Financial Sustainability, Equity, and Efficiency of Educational Investment as Enabling Conditions for Educational Transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean”. 

At the event, Manuel Alcaíno, Regional Advisor at the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), and Carlos Henríquez, Coordinator of the UNESCO Latin American Laboratory for Assessment of the Quality of Education (LLECE), also shared updated information on monitoring activities related to SDG 4 targets in Latin America and the Caribbean —key inputs for tracking education policy progress in the region.