Comprehensively literates

Nowadays, in many societies a basic literacy standard is the ability to read the newspaper. A more traditional definition of literacy is the ability to read, write and perform mathematical computations. This is the main indicator used worldwide to monitor progress in adult literacy, such as in the Education For All framework. It's understandable that a simple, measurable indicator should be used to track the progress of such program or of any other program targeted to tackle illiteracy. But the outcomes of those programs should be interpreted with caution, without much optimism. To live a productive life, people need to learn much more than read, write and perform calculations.

Public policies should go beyond that simple definition. Should proportion people with adequate tools to achieve more complex, everyday tasks. 

UNESCO provides a broader definition of literacy: "The ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society."

This concept incorporates other important aspects besides basic tasks. It involves the capability to 'understand' not only texts and writings, but also the environment in which a person lives. It includes the ability to understand a medical leaflet, to operate a computer, to operate an ATM, to understand directions and to move around the city, to vote in democracy, to participate in the country's concerns, to plan their reproductive life, to be healthy, to take care of the environment, to choose a desired job, to understand their rights and duties, and so on.

Based on a broader definition of literacy, it's easy to see the link between literacy and the development process. Only a person who is literate in the aspects mentioned above, has the abilities to become a developed person. Thus, the objective of the development process, and public policies, should be to promote and ensure each and every aspect of literacy for every person, without distinctions of any kind, to be enjoyed now and in the future. And once a population is 'comprehensively literate', the country could be considered 'more developed'.

What does it take to have a better educated Guatemala?

In the past, when Guatemala’s economy relied on agriculture (plantain production and exports), economic growth was achieved through an educated elite and a large amount of unskilled workers. But the current economic model of services demands workers with specialized skills and higher education. In 2002, 25% of workers had no formal education; 49% some primary education; 21% some secondary education, and only 5% some tertiary studies.

A study of the effects of education on economic growth in Guatemala [1] showed that the country needs a better educated labor force in order to achieve a higher economic growth. In that sense, in Guatemala’s production function, human capital variables explain more than 50% of output growth, while physical capital explains only 32%. The level of education that has higher return in productivity is secondary education, followed closely by primary education, and in third place, tertiary education. But in aggregate, workers with secondary and tertiary education together have a greater impact in economic growth than those who only achieved primary.

Education could be a powerful tool to overcome poverty of income. It was estimated that ‘one additional year of schooling increases income per worker by approximately 18.4%.’[1] But we must not disregard that secondary education is key not only for addressing poverty, but also for improving equality, agency, empowerment and participation among the population.

The principal features and challenges of post-primary education in Guatemala are as follows:

- A 20 year-old has only 4.3 years of education on average.

- In secondary education, the gross enrollment rate is 55%, and the net rate is only 26%, while the average in Latin America of the net enrollment rate is 64%.

- Inequalities in access related to gender and ethnicity. Gross secondary enrollment rates in Grades 7-9 (2005): Guatemala 55%; Boys 59%, Girls 51%; Indigenous 26%, Non-indigenous 74%.

- Secondary school is concentrated in urban areas, and rural and indigenous populations have fewer opportunities.

- Secondary enrollment attending private schools is high: 74%.

- Quality of education: ‘learning level is very deficient overall, and especially in rural secondary education models.’ [2]

- Only 22 out of 100 children complete primary education on time, a ‘bottleneck’ for expanding secondary school enrollment.

- Low retention. Gross completion rate in Grade 9: 46%

- Overage and repetition. Enrollment rates drop pronouncedly between ages of 13 and 16, but, because of repetition and overage, these dropouts occur mostly during primary school. 40% of 13-15 year olds were in primary school.

- Teachers are trained during secondary education only (Grades 10-12), thus low quality in primary and secondary education are intertwined.

It seems that the main challenge to increase enrollment in secondary education would be by addressing the low efficiency of primary education through an integrated strategy. ‘The strategic choice of the Government of Guatemala is to start reforms at the secondary education level, but to continue to support primary education, complementing long-term general quality improvements (such as improving the quality of pre-school and the first cycle, Grades 1-3, and support teacher professional development) with short-term efficiency solutions (such as accelerated learning and promotion for overage students).’[2]

Investment in education thus should be a priority. With only 1.7% of GDP invested in education, not much can be addressed. The main justification for public financing relies on the “positive externality” argument [3], especially in poorer countries with high inequalities such as Guatemala. With a gross enrollment rate in secondary school of 55%, and 74% attending private schools, inequalities will rise if secondary education is only a luxury for a few.

References

[1] Loening, Josef L., 2005. Effects of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education on Economic Growth. Evidence from Guatemala. The World Bank, Washington D.C. and Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research, University of Goettingen.

[2] World Bank, 2006. Project Guatemala: Education Quality and Secondary Education Project. Project Appraisal Document.

[3] di Gropello, Emanuela (Ed.), 2006. Meeting the Challenges of Secondary Education in Latin America and East Asia. Improving Efficiency and Resource Mobilization. The World Bank.