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Accelerating the EdTech agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean

Sat, March 22, 1:15 to 2:30pm, Palmer House, Floor: 7th Floor, LaSalle 2

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The state of education in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) reveals significant challenges, with students consistently performing below global averages. According to the World Bank, four in five children in the region lack basic reading comprehension skills by the end of elementary school. Additionally, PISA assessments indicate that 8th graders in LAC perform 20% below their global peers in math, reading, and science. With almost 40% of students not completing upper secondary education (UNESCO), projections suggest that by 2030, only half of school-age youth in the region will be on track to achieve the skills necessary for workforce participation (Global Business Coalition for Education). This presents a critical challenge, especially as new industries demand expertise that is currently lacking within LAC workforces.

Many argue that EdTech has the potential to significantly address this challenge by overcoming barriers such as limited access to quality resources and geographic isolation. Proponents of EdTech highlight the capacity of digital tools to personalize learning, improve teacher training, and equip students with essential skills for the modern workforce, offering a path to improved educational outcomes and workforce readiness. Most critically, as the Global North tests the multitude of opportunities that EdTech presents, education players in LAC are working to ensure the region does not fall behind and is able to take advantage of this momentum.

While there has been an accelerated appearance of creative EdTech solutions in the region that offer more flexible, adaptable, and inclusive solutions for learning, scaling these solutions to the level required to meet the challenge is hindered by insufficient funding, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient teacher training.

To fully leverage the transformative potential of EdTech, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), in LAC, it is crucial to establish collaborative partnerships that bring together funders, financiers, the tech industry, service providers, and the public sector. This collaborative approach is key to ensuring that Latin America can fully capitalize on the opportunities presented by EdTech and AI, ultimately driving educational equity and preparing the region's youth for the demands of the future workforce.

In this panel, hosted by the Education Finance Network, we will share research findings around the role and scale of funding for EdTech in LAC and examples of collaborative EdTech partnerships in the region.

Firstly, we will share lessons from an initiative developing and piloting a diagnostic tool and roadmaps for incorporating technology in education systems across the region.

Secondly, we will explore a study examining the potential of EdTech to address educational challenges in LAC, focusing on the critical role of philanthropic funding in overcoming barriers to innovation.

Thirdly, we will share how a digital platform offering free resources to public education teachers in Brazil is transitioning from standardized to personalized education using generative AI and data-driven solutions, in collaboration with tech industry companies.

Finally, we will hear from an initiative that seeks to leverage technology to reduce dropout rates and improve learning outcomes through AI-driven programs, in collaboration with local tech companies.

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