Planes y programas para mejorar el aprendizaje y reducir el fracaso en la educación básica en América Latina

Abstract

This paper presents reflections on the improvement of school experiences based on a revision of several programmes and initiatives developed in the past twenty years in five Latin American countries –Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Mexico. These programs aim at improving educational opportunities for underprivileged social sectors, enhancing learning and reducing school failure in basic education. The chosen cases exemplify lines of action which apply to some of the following dimensions: the capacity to compensate for conditions that mark inclusion / exclusion of education systems; improvement of school management, promotion of teachers, planning activities and community bonding; improvement of teaching and learning processes taking into account distinct school trajectories of students; and changes in organizational and academic issues so as to address specific population needs. The present study suggests that in order to evaluate these strategies to improve teaching and promote inclusion, attention should be paid to the processes adopted in countries with similar problems, the effectiveness of the generated articulations, the sustainability of the proposals, and the capacity to implement long-lasting changes.