291 primary school teachers trained in CAF program in Bolivia

(La Paz, May 30, 2011) .- In a partnership with Universidad del Valle (Univalle), CAF - Latin American development bank - trained 291 Bolivian primary school teachers from urban and rural schools in 29 municipalities in the first Educational Skills Program (PROCE).

CAF director representative in Bolivia Emilio Uquillas, accompanied by the academic authorities of Univalle, presented certificates at ceremonies in La Paz and Cochabamba, with the participation of teachers from the urban state sector, which is one of the segments most neglected by training programs.

"The level and quality of education is increasingly important for countries because of the advantages of knowledge societies in an international context. Since Latin America has not yet achieved the highest standards of learning, CAF designed this pilot program, which is being implemented in Bolivia and Peru, with the objective of equipping teachers with methods and techniques to improve the quality of teaching at primary level recognizing that the teacher is an essential element in the process and quality of education," Uquillas said.

Teacher training has emphasized math and language, subjects that have to do with development of capacities related to problem solving and strengthening logical thinking through oral and written communication.

Using an approach, which is theoretical and practical, participatory and reflective, the training gave teachers the opportunity to share their experiences and then draw conclusions and create theories to apply later in their classrooms, without neglecting the use of the new information and communication technologies.

At the end of the two-semester course, teachers were capable of planning their classes based on knowledge of the individual and group characteristics of the students, diagnosing their educational needs, as well as critical analysis to help students develop their own concepts.

In the ceremonies, certificates were also presented to over 20 directors of educational units and a number of psychologists included in the Program. Training courses were also held in several intermediate cities and municipalities in Beni, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Potosi and Tarija, mainly in urban state schools.