UNESCO told of Panama education weakness

WHILE growth in Panama has been one of the highest in Latin America during the recent  decade it remains   a country with a relatively high inequality and a weak education system.

The admission  came from    Minister of Education Marcela Paredes in testimony before a UNESCO conference in Paris.

She said the country has continued to struggle with “weaknesses in education and the development of human capital.”

She said that the quality of education will not improve until there are improvements in teacher training.

To this end the ministry is investing in continuing education programs for teachers and establishing a national assessment system.

Paredes said that the government is building 50 new schools and adding 2,000 pre-school classrooms.