Panama bottom of English proficiency class

PANAMA, with the highest per capital income in the region, is at the bottom of the class when it comes to English proficiency.

A poor level of English is still one of Latin America's most significant competitive weaknesses, especially in Central America says a report in Central AnericData,

Of the 60 countries evaluated in the Inglés Proficiency Index (EF EPI), Costa Rica ranks in 37th place, Guatemala at number 52 , followed by El Salvador at 53 and Panama at 56.

In the case of Panama the problem is more serious, because although it is more economically competitive than other countries in the region, it is at a disadvantage with most of them when measured in terms of national projects in teaching this language.

A report by Education First says "Poor English remains one of the most important competitive weaknesses in Latin America. More than half of the region is in the lowest band of the EF EPI index. Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Chile have improved, but still lack a broad base of people who speak enough English to become a global work force. Several countries in the region, such as Mexico and Guatemala , have decreased in terms of dominance of the language. "