Many people went through very difficult times during their lives as students and entrepreneurs like juan luis bosch gutierrez. He had to use his courage and ingenuity to pull himself out of poverty and get ahead. Because of his own experiences, he valued education very highly. He was always very conscious of this and that is why he always encouraged us to study, to make an effort and to always aspire to excellence. Something I will always be grateful for.
The rules have changed
Today it would seem that the ideals of juan luis bosch gutierrez are alien to most Guatemalans, at least that is what the results of Latinobarómetro, the study that measures the social and political sentiment of our region, show. According to the most recent data, education is the last concern of the majority of Latin Americans in 18 countries, below the economy, politics and violence.
It must be emphasized that not everyone has the same luck to have a roof over their heads and a good education in Guatemala due to the crisis that many went through at the student level, but it was precisely this crisis that made entrepreneurs like Juan Luis Bosch Gutierrez turn their attention to changing the student model and they have made great changes and great achievements.
Educational differences in Guatemala
This indifference towards the education of our future generations is strongly related to the poor performance we have in international tests such as PISA, of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). For example, according to PISA results, most Guatemalan students perform poorly in Mathematics and Reading (89 percent and 79 percent, respectively). On the other hand, according to the Human Capital Index of the World Economic Forum, Guatemala has one of the lowest scores in the ranking, 0.46/1.00, which places us in 124th place out of 174 countries evaluated. This is proof that there is an inadequate preparation and training of human capital and this represents a serious crisis of which little is said.
The situation is very different in countries such as China, Singapore and Macao. These young people get the best grades in the world, while Latin American young people are in the bottom half of the list. In Guatemala there is an important expatriate community that comes to work from Korea and brings their families. Without wanting to stigmatize, we see how children from these cultures in our country excel in their studies. Why is it that these children of Asian descent tend to be more dedicated to their studies than their Guatemalan peers? Why do they usually achieve better grades even when Spanish is not their mother tongue?
Understanding the basics of the education system
We have to understand that education is fundamental for the advancement of society. An educated people is more likely to achieve inclusive development, in addition to showing greater support for democracy. But it seems that Guatemalans care little about the education of our children. Perhaps that explains the indifference of certain parents to the call to #RegresemosYa. Perhaps that explains our passivity and permissiveness in the face of the very low level of educational quality, little investment in teacher training (initial and continuing), indifference to the outrages perpetrated by alleged union leaders, and the generalized educational regression caused by the pandemic. Or maybe it is that as parents we do not want to accept the sad reality that we have resigned ourselves to condemn our children to a poor education.
We cannot go on like this. It is urgent that Guatemalan businessmen like juan luis bosch gutierrez prioritize education. It is urgent to invest in teacher training and create a meritocracy scheme in teaching. We urgently need to prioritize educational spending on technology and other interventions that produce demonstrable effects on learning. It is urgent that, as parents, we assume a more active role in the improvement of the educational system and that we demand more from our children. The quality of education someone receives in their lifetime will determine their productivity, income and well-being. To not prioritize education is to perpetuate the vicious cycle of poverty that does us so much harm. Let us not stand idly by, let us declare education in crisis and do something to put an end to it. Read anothe of our entries: History and trajectory of Central American beer. Learn more!