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Elementary Education.
Although the vast majority of Spanish-speaking Latin American children
have the opportunity to attend elementary school, (ranging from 87% in
Nicaragua and Colombia to 98% in Mexico and Panama
1),
many do not stay in school. For example, only 85.3% of Panamanian
elementary children continue on to 5th grade. In addition, the quality
of education lags significantly behind most other developed regions.
2
Secondary Education.
Many countries have raised the level of basic education from 6th grade
to 8th or 9th grade in just the last few years. This change has
provided expansion opportunities for our Assemblies of God schools in
the region. Although secondary education is growing, it still remains
low. For example, only 43% of Nicaraguan youth are enrolled in
secondary school.
1
These statistics may actually be optimistic. For example, the UNESCO
enrollment rate for Panama is 64%, however, the statistic reported
locally is 44%.
3
In addition, secondary
students are among the lowest performers on international assessments of
skills, not adequately preparing students for the rapidly changing job
markets.
Ministerial Education.
There are 26,051 ministerial students studying in 287 Assemblies of God
Bible schools and 704 extension sites. There are 49,170 ministers and
workers, 39,099 churches and outreaches with 4,618,810 adherents.
4
1
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 1995 enrollment
2 Raising Student Learning in Latin America, World Bank, 2008, xxi
3
Panama’s daily newspaper La Prensa, 11/4/07, 25A
4
AGWM, Latin America/ Caribbean Region Statistics, 2007 |
"Go and make disciples
of all nations...
teaching them to obey"
--Matthew
28:19
"Be transformed by the
renewing of your mind."
--Romans 12:2
"If a man's gift is... teaching,
let him teach."
--Romans 12:6-7
"Education is the most powerful
weapon
which you can use
to change the world."
--Nelson Mandela |
